Tiger Woods gunning for golf’s major record

LOS ANGELES, USA – Tiger Woods believes he can still catch Jack Nicklaus and his record of 18 major titles after ending a decade-long drought with a win for the ages at Augusta National.

The 43-year-old stunned the sporting world this month by completing an epic comeback from spinal fusion surgery to capture his 15th major and his first since the 2008 US Open.

A 2009 sex scandal followed by knee and back injuries that required 7 operations had led to a prolonged wait to add another major title to his honors.

But his fairytale fifth green jacket has put Woods firmly back in pursuit of the all-time record of 18 major wins by Nicklaus.

“I always thought it was possible, if I had everything go my way,” Woods said in an interview with streaming service GOLFTV.

“It took him an entire career to get to 18, so now that I’ve had another extension to my – one that I didn’t think I had a couple of years ago –  if I do things correctly and everything falls my way, yeah, it’s a possibility.”

“I’m never going to say it’s not. Except for a couple of years ago when I couldn’t walk.”

“Now I just need to have a lot of things go my way, and who’s to say that it will or will not happen? That’s what the future holds, I don’t know. The only thing I can promise you is this: that I will be prepared.”

Woods prevailed by one stroke on a dramatic final day at Augusta, remarkably his first major victory in which he did not lead after 54 holes.

A double-bogey by leader and British Open champion Francesco Molinari at the 12th gave Woods an opening to erase a two-shot deficit. The American birdied 3 of the next 4 holes to surge clear from a pack of contenders.

Asked whether his achievement had sunk in, Woods replied: “No, honestly it hasn’t. It’s hard to believe.”

“Every now and again, I’ll look over there on the couch and there’s the jacket. Yeah, I did pull it off.”

It was the first time daughter Sam Alexis, 11, and son Charlie, 10, had seen their famous father win a major title except in videos. (READ: Epic Masters win a family affair for Tiger as dad, son)

The moment allowed Woods, who famously hugged his late father Earl off the 18th green at Augusta after his first major win in 1997, to re-enact the moment but this time as the father, hugging his kids.

“They never knew golf to be a good thing in my life and the only thing they remember is that it brought this incredible amount of pain to their dad,” said Woods.

“And so to now have them see this side of it, the side that I’ve experienced for so many years of my life, but I had a battle to get back to this point, and it feels good.”

Woods was expected to return to action at the Well Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina from May 2 to 5, but organizers told a Charlotte radio station Friday that the golfer would not be taking part.

Friday was the last day Woods could commit to the event. Woods is now not likely to return to competition until the PGA Championship, the next major on the golf calendar. – Rappler.com