After disappearing for over a year, the world-renowned 15-time major champion, Tiger Woods, is ready to make a comeback and re-stake his place on the golf course. 

Woods has been one of the most influential golfers in history, and this can be seen in the rapid transformation of golfers’ health. Throughout the Professional Golfers’ Association during the late ‘80s, it was extremely common for male golfers to freely smoke a couple of cigars throughout their round and have large bellies that bulged out of their pants. The New York Times explains that the golfers’ health was not their number one priority, and this caused critics to create the notion that golf was not a sport. 

However, this stereotype on the PGA tour completely changed when the up-and-coming child progeny from Stanford joined in 1996 and redesigned everyone’s mindset. He was a workout freak, and Woods revealed to the press after one of his tournaments that he would be “sore after all of the practicing and training.” The New York Times explains that it was not long until fitness trailers were stationed right by practice ranges so that golfers could work out and then practice before teeing off. This increase in people’s workout regimes allowed for better endurance, longer drives, and lower scores, which viewers love to see. 

Not only did Woods stress the importance of the physical aspect of the game, but he also reintroduced how crucial a strong mentality is. Jack Niklaus, who was the reigning world number one from ‘68 to ‘77, was a huge advocate for mental health and stressed how players needed it to succeed. Woods continued his legacy and began emphasizing to the new generation the impact of trusting their abilities and having the confidence to win. Now, it can be argued that the mental game is just as or more important than the physical game. Mind Training, which provides numerous quotes from star athletes, reveals that Woods believes his “[m]ental training is essential in golf. When [he] visualize[s] success and believe[s] in [his] abilities, [he] can achieve remarkable results,” and he has the accomplishments to back him up. Shortly after his appearance on the PGA tour, Woods began winning tournament after tournament and even became the youngest champion to win the Masters. His success quickly gave golfers more evidence as to why they need a confident mindset. 

Even though Woods had much success on the PGA, he suffered many injuries throughout his life that hindered his career. Tiger’s first injury was in ‘94 when he had two tumors and scar tissue removed. This did not have a huge impact on his ability to play the game, but he would soon have a long line of traumas that would follow him. His most detrimental career injury was on Feb. 23, 2021, when he was driving 75mph around a curve and crashed into a median, a curb, and then the “Rolling Hills Estates” sign in Palos Verde, according to Sports Illustrated. It was revealed by the magazine that he “suffered multiple open fractures in the tibia and fibula of his right leg and had multiple significant injuries to his right foot and ankle.” In an interview where he was asked about the seriousness of his injuries, he explained that it was “50-50” on whether part of his leg had to be amputated, and to make a successful recovery, he remained bedridden for three months.

Despite the long road to recovery and the continuous media investigations on whether he was intoxicated during the accident, Woods persevered. On Nov. 21, 2021, Woods broke the internet when he posted a tweet of a three-second video of him swinging a club with the caption “making progress.” People were in awe at the fact that Woods was already preparing to make a comeback, but truthfully, it wasn’t surprising that he was already scratching his golf itch. According to NBC, on Dec. 8, 2021, Woods announced that he would make his return to competitive golf at the PNC Championship, where he would compete with his son, Charlie. In the same year, after receiving multiple injuries that could have ended his career, Woods declared that he would return to golf and continue working towards his goal of winning more than 18 major championships. It is important to note that even though Woods did continue to work towards his goal, his success was not immediate. NBC notes that Woods had to use a golf cart during the PNC Championship because his body wasn’t up for the challenge. It wasn’t until 508 days after his car accident that Woods played in his first ever official PGA major, the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Sadly, he only ended up placing 47th overall, but he proved to the world that it is possible to overcome unexpected obstacles that have a huge impact on life. 

Not only did Woods prove himself to the world, but his story created everlasting impacts on many teenage athletes who, unfortunately, have had to endure severe injuries. A former Thunderbird golfer has a similar story of being forced to endure a life-changing injury. This student explained that they had been playing golf for over four years, and during the summer before sophomore year, they tore their ACL. When asked how they felt, they explained, “I was at the lowest point in my life. I don’t remember a time where I wasn’t playing, and then it was taken away from me without warning.” No one can ever predict an injury, and it can leave many feeling empty. The student explained that they enjoyed watching PGA tour tournaments and had heard of Woods’ accident update from one of the commentators. They looked more into his story and learned about the extent of his injuries and how he was able to recover. “His ability to fight through the pain and endure so much boosted my confidence. Instead of worrying about what I couldn’t do, I decided to focus on improving as much as I could,” they revealed. Eventually, with some physical therapy and training, they tried out and made varsity junior year. Their story proves that Woods’s perseverance to jump over hurdles and break people’s expectations has inspired athletes to keep trying to reach their goals and become the best version of themselves.