Rozner: Tiger Woods once again makes improbable possible

It was not the first time Tiger Woods was told he would never win again.

That happened every time he went through a swing change, every time he had a knee surgery, every time he had a back surgery and every time those who hate him found a reason to doubt him.

But 51 weeks ago, it seemed Woods himself was saying that he might never play again, let alone win again.

The concern was palpable at last year's Presidents Cup, when he was five months removed from spinal fusion.

"The pain's gone, but I don't know what my golfing body is going to be like because I haven't hit a golf shot yet," Woods said in late September 2017. "It's going to take time to figure that out."

Not long after Team USA romped to victory, Woods approached the PGA Tour bosses about the possibility of captaining the 2019 Presidents Cup team, a sign that Woods was not confident he would be a player on that team.

How could he be? At that time, he was putting in his basement, same as you and me. He could not swing a club.

From there … to this.

Tiger Woods won for the 80th time and first in five years on the PGA Tour Sunday, at the Tour Championship, no less, one of the most prestigious events on the calendar, completing one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, a year after not knowing if he would ever enter another event.

"I've exceeded a lot of my expectations because so much of it was an unknown," Woods said. "What I've missed most about playing this event is that in order to get in you have to be top 30 on Tour.

"The most consistent players of the year and the best players of the year are here. No exemptions into this event. Either you get here or you don't. It's a very hard line."

Consistent? After four years away?

In 18 events in 2018, Woods now has a victory, a pair of seconds, seven top 10s and 12 top 25s.

He has more top 10s in 2018 than Jason Day, Rickie Fowler, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, Jimmy Walker, Bubba Watson, Tommy Fleetwood and Phil Mickelson.

And not one of them skipped the last four years of golf while flat on his back, recovering from surgery after surgery after surgery.

The scary part is Woods is playing right now at about 70 percent of what he will be if he stays healthy.

He's been finding his game on the course while competing all season. At various times his driver has been terrible. After working on that, his iron distances were off. The next week it was his chipping. The week after that, his putting.

There was always something to work on, thus stealing time from another part of his game. There was never a chance to just go play and get a feel for the game again.

With a new swing, new ball, new driver, new irons and new wedges, not to mention a fused spine and a 42-year-old body, Woods had no right to think he could make a cut this year.

After that long a layoff and with all of the above staring him in the face, a full year of practice and another year of playing poorly in tournaments would have made more sense.

But not for him. Not for Tiger Woods.

He began the season as No. 674 in the Official World Golf Rankings. After Sunday's victory, the greatest player in golf history is back to No. 13 in the world.

Insanity.

It's a stretch to find a comparison, but perhaps only Muhammad Ali comes close.

Is it Ali when he beat George Foreman and took back the title, seven years after the U.S. government stole it from him, at the ancient boxing age of 32?

Or is this more like the Leon Spinks rematch four years later to collect the heavyweight title for an unprecedented third time?

That Ali didn't have much left in the tank, but this version of Woods is hitting it far and fast and might have a lot left in the tank, assuming he doesn't wind up on an operating table again.

It's worth remembering that Vijay Singh won 22 events after age 40. Sam Snead won 17 of his 82 in his 40s, Kenny Perry 11 of his 14 and Steve Stricker nine of his 12.

It should also be noted that 36 players have won majors after reaching 40 years old, including Mickelson, who won the Open Championship at 43.

Woods finished second at the PGA and sixth at the Open this year.

Gotta shake your head, gotta wonder what the future holds after seeing Woods stroll down the 18th fairway in Atlanta Sunday, defiant red shirt glowing in the southern heat after destroying his playing partner, Rory McIlroy, in vintage fashion, a reminder of what was once so great and might be again.

Never in sports has a comeback been more improbable. Never has it been greater. Never has it offered a sport such a gift.

That is, after all, what it is. A gift.

Accept it, with gratitude.