Since Woods pulled-out of The Player's Championship due to the injuries to his Achilles and knee, Tiger had taken a three month hiatus from the game he once dominated and left the sport without the excitement that it needs. Once Tiger left, the entire golfing world wondered who would be able to replace Woods as the man to beat on the course and it seemed that we may have gotten that out of Rory McIlroy. His performance at the US Open brought excitement back to the game, but a below-average effort at the Open Championship got people wondering if he could carry the torch the way Woods had not too long ago.
But, even at a casual tour stop such as the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, with Tiger involved, there is a buzz going around that no other player or major tournament can bring, unless Tiger is present. Many criticized him for taking so much time off and skipping two consecutive majors, but it was in his best interest, and maybe even the sport's, to take that much time off to fully heal.
So, with the return of Tiger Woods this week, golf got back that much needed excitement. The only thing left missing is that raucous Tiger roar on Sunday when he makes a birdie putt to bring himself to the top of the leaderboard. And with a two-under 68 in his first round back, maybe we're not far off from that happening.
*Images courtesy of Google Images*
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