Nine months removed from major knee surgery, in his third event of the year Tiger Woods answered any and all questions about his ability to perform.  Ah lad, I sure did miss ye.  I gave up flipping channels between golf and March Madness as the back nine began, of course UNC put such a beating on the Sooners that there really was nothing to watch.  I didn’t want to miss another history lesson.  Beginning the day five shots behind Sean O’Hair seemed a bit much even for Mr. Woods.  Even though we are talking Tiger Woods and a 26 year old with a great game and a couple of wins to his credit, it seemed doubtful to me that five shots would be less than enough to hold the lead.  I really gotta quit thinking. 

Mr. O’Hair hit everything right on holes 2 thru 4 while Mr. Woods birdied numbers 2 and 3.  Even with a bad break in the bunker on number four which resulted in a Woods bogey the game was on.  With another birdie on the 7th Mr. Woods was within a stroke.  I will hand it to Mr. O’Hair, after that wobbly start, he played steady if unspectacular golf.  He birdie the 9th but gave the shot back at the 10th.  At this point I’m thinking here we go, the kid’s gonna crack like a walnut in a vice grips and the kingly coronation will begin about the 12th hole.  Wrong again.  Or still, depending on one’s perspective.

Mr. O’Hair matches pars with Mr. Woods, routinely, if anything involving the back nine with the lead and Tiger Woods chasing you on a Sunday afternoon can be called routine.  Then on the 14th hole Mr. Woods hits his tee shot right on line with the flag, only to have the ball come up short and plug in the face under the lip.  I begin thinking two shot swing here easy (see why I need to quit thinking).  Mr. Woods is standing in the sand on a straight right leg, with his left (surgically repaired) leg braced on the grassy face, knee pointing at his left ear.  A position at which I cringed wondering how many times his physical therapist put that much torque on his knee and how many tears that involved.  With a Ruthian swing the ball came out along with several pounds of sand and finished rolling about 15 feet from the hole.  Make the putt, routine par.  Mr. O’Hair surprisingly didn’t begin bleeding from the ears after that right cross to his chin.  The 15th hole found Mr Woods with a 25 foot putt for birdie and all of a sudden we have a tie atop the leaderboard. 

The 16th hole finds Mr. Woods in the deep I need to just wedge this out to the fairway rough and Mr. O’Hair in the middle of the fairway.  Inexplicably Mr. O’Hair hits his shot short and watchs as it rolls back into the water.  As Mr. Woods gets ready to hit his third from the fairway,  Johnnie Miller asks Roger Maltbie why he’s aiming so far right, just as the shot hits the green, spins a little left catching the slope and finishing some 3 feet from the hole.  Gee I guess that answered that question, eh. 

Mr. Woods tried to return the favor on the par 3 17th hole, once again plugging his tee shot under the lip of the bunker.  No miracle this time, unless you count him getting the ball out and onto the green.  Bogey and it’s tied heading to the 18th hole. 

Eerily similar to last year, Mr. Woods his drive 164 yards from the hole, the exact distance from which he hit his second shot last year.  Difference this year was the second shot left an easier slightly uphill left to right 15 footer for the win, instead of the huge bender from 25 feet of last year.  End result was the same,  a birdie and the win.  A birdie I and thousands of others just knew was in the hole even before he hit it.  The man is uncanny good.  His final round 67 to Mr. O’Hair’s 73 gave him another one shot victory and his 6th Bay Hill Championship. 

During yesterday’s broadcast Johnnie Miller went over Mr. Woods normal work day.  Beginning with a 90 minute workout at 6am, follow by breakfast, range time, practice green, 9 holes, lunch, range, practice green, 9 holes, putting and done about 6pm.  No longer any need to wonder why he’s so much better than anyone else is there?  I’ve heard it said that in athletics if you want to get better than the competition you have to outwork them.  How the heck to you outwork that?  How many guys do you think even match that?  I know Mr. Woods has a lot of detractors, but hey, face it, the guy is blessed with a load of talent yes I agree, but he also works harder than hard to keep getting better.  Work ethic is what made this a great country, and it’s work ethic like this that reminds me what greatness is all about.  A tip of the hat to Tiger Woods for showing us all that if you work harder than anyone you can and will achieve great things.  Glad you’re back.