Early end of season for Tiger Woods doesn't take away from Masters

For fifth time in last six years, August on PGA Tour means more Tiger Woods for rest of season. Only w he’s healthy.

He also is Masters champion. And that makes it a season he wouldn’t tre.

“Very special to win my 15th major and get my fifth jacket,” Woods said Sunday. “Those are special moments to be able to have an opportunity like that. And rest of tournaments I didn’t really play as well as I wanted. But at end of day, I’m one with green jacket.”

Rarely has Woods smiled so wide after t meeting a goal.

His season ended at Medinah, where he won two PGA Championship titles at peak of his game and his health. He closed with an even-par 72 in  BMW Championship and tied for 37th, where near what he needed to move into top 30 in FedEx Cup and vance to season-ending Tour Championship next week at East Lake.

“It’s disappointing,” Woods said about t returning to Atlanta. “I wish I could have. Last year culminated in a pretty special moment for me, and it would have been nice to go back re. But I’ll be watching guys on TV.”

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It will be 15th time in his career that Woods did t show up to defend a title on PGA Tour, remarkable considering that Fred Couples only won 15 times in his career. or occasions of t defending a title usually involved a change in schedule, a tournament ending or health reasons.

This is first time because he wasn’t eligible.

He started PGA Tour postseason at . 28 but withdrew after a 75 in first round at Liberty National with what he called a mild oblique strain. That dropped him to . 38 in FedEx Cup, and he finished at . 42.

It was mildly surprising that Woods even me it to Medinah to give it a try, and he looked fairly rmal, except for some rust. He gave it his best shot at returning to scene of perhaps biggest moment in golf last year — a victory at East Lake, with thousands of fans spilling inside ropes to watch Woods cap off his comeback from four back surgeries by beating best players.

And n he did it again where it really matters — a major.

Woods needed some help from Francesco Molinari’s tee shot into Rae’s Creek on 12th hole in  final round at Augusta National , and similar blunders by Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau, but he looked like Woods of old inste of an old Woods with his mistake-free finish for a 15th major, his first in 11 years.

Just like that, count to Jack Nicklaus and his 18 majors was on again.

Inste, that was as good as it got.

Woods spoke vaguely of his back t being right in cold of Bethp Black for PGA Championship in May, his first tournament since Masters. He never got on track at Pebble Beach for U.S. Open. After ar long break, he missed cut at British Open and n simply wanted to get home.

But he won Masters, and that makes up for a lot.

“It’s like I told him coming off 18, he’s got jacket. That’s all that matters,” cdie Joe LaCava said. “I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t disappointed with second half of season. If I was happy and satisfied, I shouldn’t be in industry.”

LaCava also has a sense of how Woods is feeling at 43 with eight surgeries — four on his knee through 2008, four on his back since 2014.

“By time we get around to next year, he’ll be refocused and be rey and get after it,” La Cava said.

season is over. year is t.

Woods hes home for a nine-week break before returning for first PGA Tour event in Japan at end of October. He has his Hero World Challenge in Bahamas first week of December, followed by his role as U.S. captain in Presidents Cup at Australia’s Royal Melbourne.

He did t make team. It would be surprising if he picked himself, especially playing only one tournament in Japan, for one of his four captain’s choices.

Woods finished season with 12 tournaments, his shortest PGA Tour season when healthy without any outside distractions. He wasn’t always tournament sharp, and w he has two months of competition.

“I think right w most important thing is fitness, for sure,” Woods said. “Keep going way I’m going right w because I need to get a little bit stronger in certain body parts, activate different areas. I need to get those parts stronger and n starting building up my game for Japan.”

He won’t be in Georgia next week for Tour Championship.

Inste, Woods will be at home in South Florida, where he has a green jacket to remind him that yes, it was a year worth celebrating.

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