Tiger Woods says his Masters triumph is “right up there” with his greatest achievements, having faced “serious doubts” he would ever contend again.
Woods, 43, won a fifth Green Jacket at Augusta National on Sunday, his first major win in 11 years and a first since having four operations on his back.
The 15-time major winner said he “could barely walk” before surgery and his children had seen golf cause “pain”.
“We’re creating new memories for them and it’s just very special,” he said.
“I was very lucky to be given another chance to do something that I love to do. I had serious doubts after what transpired a couple of years ago.
“I couldn’t lay down, I couldn’t do much of anything. I had the procedure which gave me a chance of having a normal life.
“All of a sudden I realised I could swing a club again. I felt if I could somehow piece this together I still had the hands to do it. The body is not the same but I still had good hands.
Woods one-stroke win from fellow Americans Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka will take him to number six in the world – he was as low as 1,199 in November 2017.
Since his last major win, he had taken an “indefinite break” from golf in 2009 after admissions of infidelity and the breakdown of his marriage. In 2017, he was in the spotlight again when he was found asleep at the wheel of his car, later pleading guilty to reckless driving.
Those controversies, not to mention his being limited to just 24 tournament starts in four years from 2014, saw him written off by some observers and he told 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus he “was done” at the Masters Champions Dinner in 2017.
Instead, when he tapped in to confirm victory on Sunday, he moved to within three major wins of Nicklaus’ record.
“I think the kids are starting to understand how much the game means to me,” Woods added.
“Prior to the comeback they only knew golf caused me a lot of pain. If I tried to swing a club I’d be on the ground in pain, so that’s basically all they remember.
“To come back here and play as well as I did has meant so much to me and my family – this tournament, and to have everyone here is something I’ll never forget.
