Tiger Woods has won the 2019 Masters after emerging from the pack on a dramatic final day. The 43-year-old claimed his first major tournament win since 2008 and his 15th win in golf's biggest four tournaments with a score of 13 under par. Going into the day, Woods sat just behind the leader Francesco Molinari, who faded away after finding the water on the par-three 12th hole. Woods shot -2 for the day to secure his first triumph around Augusta National since 2005. Woods in his iconic Sunday red shirt - managed to emerge from a congested pack of candidates to take victory against the odds. His tee shot on the 16th left him a very short putt to move clear of those around him and, from there, he never took a backwards step.
This is Tiger's fifth green jacket presented to the winner of the tournament in total and cements his (admittedly, already stellar) claim to be the greatest golfer of all time. On Jack Nicklaus with 18 major wins, sits above him. This win must be even more special after the time that Woods took out of the game after a series of personal scandals and setbacks as well as severe injury complications. Only a matter of years ago he was in danger of never being able to swing his clubs again but, following spinal surgery to fix a chronic back complaint, he has reached the summit of the sport in which he is most people's first reference point. As those around him faltered huge names such as Molinari, Tony Finau, and Brooks Koepka - Woods went through the gears. This year's Masters had a strange atmosphere around it in more ways than one as play was started early for the first time in history. This was because of a huge storm forecast to arrive in Georgia. Something big was definitely brewing.
The man who put golf back on the map as a precocious teenager all those years ago produced arguably his finest display, particularly when taken in the context of his comeback. He kept his cool as others floundered around him, and when the moment finally came, the steely gaze that he had carried around the course with him for four days was broken. The huge gallery gathered around him rose as one and applauded one of the sport's greatest comebacks and the completion of Tiger Woods' return to the summit of golf.