Will We See a Five-Time Master’s Champion Ever Again?
Tiger Woods’ career is once again in jeopardy after he confirmed a seventh back surgery. The news is a brutal reality: the end of Woods’ career is near and may arrive within the next year or two. The twilight years of a five-time Masters Champion are filled with back surgeries and doubts about whether he will play again healthy on a golf course. Despite the win in the Masters in 2019, the 2021 car accident derailed Woods’s quest for more greatness, where only health was the main priority. The world of golf may have confirmation through this news, as the end is near.
Woods’ current world ranking of 2,048th is the numerical proof, and the dropping out of the world ranking is a sad reminder of what he once was, as he may never get the chance to prove that he can play. The fact that we see him struggling to finish is heartbreaking to watch, as Tiger’s body seems to have fallen off after his car accident in 2021. Fans, golf writers like myself, and even the casual viewers of golf can see the writing on the wall. The reality of the end seems to be true, as we may not see Tiger Woods again in 2025. The world of golf without Tiger Woods is a reminder of the past of what the game looked like before him, or a world where someone is missing after the four-time PGA Champion leaves the game, where a void can never be filled.
The possibility of 2024 being the last year of witnessing Tiger Woods playing golf is a reminder that the sunset is brutal, even for the greatest athletes. We are asking the question of when the three-time U.S. Open Champion will walk away from the game, which is contradictory, as we want to see the last hurrah from Tiger Woods. The request from fans is to stay healthy, which may mean retiring for good, which may become a great tragedy for one of the greatest golf players. The end is near for Tiger Woods, and it may come through the following year or two.
