On Feb. 16, Tiger Woods returned to golf in what many would call a day to remember, as his weekend consisted of much drama and excitement. 

The Genesis Invitational, though not a major championship, is an event where some of the best golfers in the world showcase their talents. However, one golfer, though maybe not as good as the rest, stole the headlines.

Tiger Woods, over his entire career, has totaled 82 tour wins (a tie for the most ever), with 15 of those being majors (second all-time).

Tiger hasn’t always been known for his golf, though, as his involvement in many off-course scandals has seen him decline in health over the years, forcing him to leave golf for seasons at a time.

After his car accident on Feb 23., 2021, most speculated that Tiger wouldn’t make a return, due to the risk of coming back seeing that he now has a son that seems to be following in his footsteps. Though it wasn’t the end most wanted for him, it was one that people had to accept.

For a while, people were left in the dark- tournaments and majors came and went, and the only thing heard from Tiger was that he would be picking and choosing his battles. However, his name never appeared on the tee sheet. That was until Feb 16., when Tiger announced that he’d be playing in his own event at the Genesis Invitational. 

The first round started off promising, as Tiger birdied the first hole and seemed to be back in the mix for another signature Tiger win. However, after coasting, the round seemed to be falling apart after Tiger bogeyed and had to fight in order to have a chance come Friday.

Another spectacle in Tiger fashion; controversy seemed to outshine his one under save, as a joke almost as old as the game of golf was taken too far. In Tiger’s day, one group was fellow star, Justin Thomas. On hole nine of the round, at the halfway point, Tiger hit a monster drive to outdrive ( hit it further) than Justin. Usually, after something like this happens, golfers, as a joke, would ask if the other was missing their purse or some other friendly taunt; but Tiger seemed to have taken it too far by handing Justin a physical tampon. Many were ashamed of Tiger’s actions, saying that they were juvenile and inappropriate. 

The second round was a different story, though, as Tiger was one over par and on the cutline going into the weekend. This would mean that he wouldn’t get paid for the weekend. This was also alarming for many fans as this would mean a short-lived return and maybe even cement his status in retirement, as many even questioned whether he’d be able to sustain the pace of play.

However, when all was said and done, Tiger managed to make the cut, and fans could sleep easy at night knowing they’d see Tiger red on Sunday for the last day of the tournament. 

Though the weekend didn’t end up in a win for Tiger, many applauded his effort and his return. Winner of the tournament, Jon Rham, even acknowledged Tiger’s greatness by pointing out that if he had only played 2 years, he’d still be considered one of the greats, winning 17 tournaments and 4 majors from 1999 to 2000. Whatever the case, it seems that Tiger is still a fan favorite after all this time and is respected as one of the best ever to do it.