Tiger's return revs up rivals and fans

Woods comeback the talk of golf as he ends 2016 on a high

Tiger Woods appeared in only one tournament all season, but the year ended with the name of the 14-time major champion on the lips of most golf fans.

Back in action after a 16-month absence caused by chronic back problems, the 40-year-old American made everyone sit up and take notice with a rollercoaster performance as he finished 15th at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December.

Pure box office, as ever, Woods reeled off a tournament-high 24 birdies to offer hope he can rediscover former glories, but also looked vulnerable as he made several errors of judgment over the four days.

Compatriot Jordan Spieth expressed the view held by many among the elite 17-man field with a positive assessment of the tournament host's return.

"What looks like is happening is he's being patient, he's making a return, he's confident in his game," two-time major winner Spieth said." That's really exciting for us and for golf.

"He's a guy that can continue to have an influence on the course for players... he can truly help get the numbers back up in golf."

Love him, or loathe him for past indiscretions, Woods simply cannot be ignored and there is always a burst of anticipation when he tees it up.

Rewinding to the opening major of the year, it was Spieth's sudden and unexpected late collapse in The Masters that opened the door for Danny Willett to claim the coveted Green Jacket.

Willett's victory at Augusta National was similarly unexpected, and it was mostly a struggle for the Englishman for the remainder of the campaign.

Another first-time major winner emerged at the US Open at Oakmont in June when Dustin Johnson finally achieved the breakthrough the 32-year-old had threatened for so long.

The long-hitting American showed nerves of steel to triumph by three shots, despite being controversially handed a one-stroke penalty when his ball moved on the fifth green.

The most spectacular major finish was at the British Open at Royal Troon in July when Henrik Stenson outslugged American Phil Mickelson in a remarkable birdie-fest on the final day.

The Swede's closing 63 matched the lowest score in a major and his winning 20-under total of 264 was a record for any of the 'big four'.

"Wow, this will take a little while to sink in," Stenson said after he and Mickelson evoked memories of the great 'Duel in the Sun' Turnberry Open of 1977 when Tom Watson edged Jack Nicklaus in another epic head-to-head.

American Jimmy Walker made it a clean sweep of first-time triumphs in the year's majors at the US PGA Championship.

Walker defeated Australian Jason Day by one stroke after playing 36 holes on a grueling final day at waterlogged Baltusrol.

The world's top four players chose to miss golf's return to the Olympics after an 112-year absence, but it mattered little to gold medalist Justin Rose.

The Englishman sank a hole-in-one during his first round at the Rio Games in August before seeing off runner-up Stenson with a birdie on the tournament's last hole to win by two shots.

"That felt better than anything I've ever won," said Rose.

Close friends Rose and Stenson were on the losing side six weeks later when the United States won the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2008 by swatting aside Darren Clarke's Europe 17-11 at Hazeltine, Minnesota.

Both teams were still in mourning for the great Arnold Palmer, 87, who died five days before the event, but it was Davis Love's American side that powered into an early 4-0 lead and never looked like surrendering control.

Emotional US assistant captain Bubba Watson wept on skipper Love's shoulder as the pair hugged on the 18th green.

"We all pulled together for this one; we've been kicked around for so long," said Love.

"If you keep on losing you feel you've got to do something different."

(China Daily 01/02/2017 page12)