A year ago, Tiger Woods completed his comeback at the Memorial. Now he needs another one.
A year ago, Tiger Woods completed his comeback at the Memorial. Now he needs another one. Columbus -- A year ago, Tiger Woods completed his comeback at the Memorial. Now he needs another one.
In 2009, Woods was only returning to health, winning his second event since his 2008 season was cut short by a knee injury that required surgery. After winning with less-than-his-best at Arnold Palmer's tournament last March, he found his form at Muirfield Village with a blistering final-round 65 that reaffirmed the old Tiger was back, his place atop the golf world was safe and Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 majors was back under attack.
That's not quite the Woods that will return to the Columbus suburbs this week.
Woods ended last season without a major for the first time in five years, missing the cut at the British Open and blowing a final-round lead at the PGA Championship. And those were the least of his worries. As the world knows, a sex scandal rocked Woods' marriage and reputation and put his game on a five-month hiatus. He's back on the PGA Tour now but has finished only one of the three events he entered in 2010, his past two tournaments ending with an ugly missed cut and a withdrawal caused by a neck injury. Phil Mickelson, who will return to Dublin, Ohio, this week after a year away, is in hot pursuit of Woods' No. 1 ranking. Oh, and don't forget Woods' swing coach quit.
So now, Woods is looking to return again. He remains stuck at 14 majors, four behind the record held by the Memorial host. Before his entrance into the tabloids, Woods was best defined by his historical duel with the Golden Bear. To find his game in the presence of Nicklaus, and once again take aim at his first major since winning the 2008 U.S. Open on one leg, is the sort of reset Woods is seeking.
When he accepted his Memorial trophy from Nicklaus on June 7, 2009, Woods was back on top. No one knew then how low he could go. Here's how that happened.
•June 22, 2009 -- After a first-round 74, Woods struggles with his putter and finishes tied for sixth at the U.S. Open.
•July 19, 2009 -- For the second time in his career, Woods misses the cut at a major after shooting a second-round 74 at the British Open.
•Aug. 9, 2009 – Shooting back-to-back 65s on the weekend, Woods wins the Bridgestone Invitational, his second straight PGA Tour victory.
•Aug. 16, 2009 -- For the first time, Woods takes a lead into the final round of a major and doesn't win, blowing the PGA Championship with a 75, finishing second to Y.E. Yang. For the first time in five years, Woods goes a calendar year without a victory in a major.
•Sept. 13, 2009 -- Woods wins his sixth and final tournament of 2009, taking the BMW Championship.
•Oct. 11, 2009 -- At the Presidents Cup, Woods goes 5-0 in his matches and makes the clinching putt on Sunday to lead the United States to victory.
•Nov. 27, 2009 -- Leaving the driveway of his home in Florida, Woods is injured in a car accident after crashing into a fire hydrant and a tree.
•Dec. 2, 2009 -- On his website, Woods apologizes for unexplained "transgressions."
•Dec. 7, 2009 -- After weeks of various reports of infidelity, ABC News reports Woods has had at least nine mistresses.
•Dec. 8, 2009 -- Gatorade becomes the first of four companies to either eliminate or limit its sponsorship deal with Woods.
•Dec. 11, 2009 -- Woods admits to infidelity and announces he is taking an indefinite leave from golf to "focus my attention on being a better, husband, father and person."
•Dec. 16, 2009 -- Dr. Anthony Galea, who has treated Woods and other athletes, is charged in Canada with selling an unapproved drug.
•Jan. 21, 2010 -- There are reports that Woods is undergoing sex rehab at a clinic in Mississippi.
•Feb. 19, 2010 -- In a 13-minute news conference at PGA Tour headquarters in which he takes no questions, Woods says he is undergoing therapy for an undisclosed issue. He doesn't mention when he will return to the golf. He asks the media to leave his family alone.
•March 16, 2010 -- Woods announces he will return to competition at the Masters.
•April 5, 2010 -- In his first full televised interview, at the start of Masters week, Woods says what he did was wrong and says he was in denial and lied to himself while cheating on his wife.
•April 11, 2010 -- Playing his first tournament in five months, Woods finishes tied for fourth at the Masters, five shots behind Phil Mickelson, whose emotional victory after his wife's battle with breast cancer is couched as a sharp contrast to Woods' return from scandal.
•May 2, 2010 -- Back from a three-week break, Woods misses the cut by eight shots at Quail Hollow with a second-round 79, the second-highest round of his career. It is only the sixth missed cut of his career.
•May 9, 2010 -- For only the second time in his career, Woods withdraws from an event, dropping out of the final round at the Players Championship with a neck injury.
•May 10, 2010 -- Hank Haney resigns as Woods' swing coach. At a news conference, Woods says his neck injury is frustrating and he's unsure how long it will sideline him.
•May 12, 2010 -- Woods announces on his website that an MRI exam on his neck revealed inflammation that can be treated with rest, massage and medicine, and no surgery is required.
•May 26, 2010 -- Woods announces he will return to the Memorial in Dublin to defend his 2009 title.