Win signals new phase in Tiger’s comeback

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tiger Woods might be the only one who doesn't consider his win at Bay Hill the start of a comeback.

As much joy as he felt on the 18th green Sunday after finishing off a five-shot victory -- his first on the PGA Tour in 2½ years -- Woods was all business when he fielded his first question about what kind of leap forward this might be.

"This is my second win," Woods said.

Technically, he was right.

Woods counts the Chevron World Challenge nearly four months ago, when he finished birdie-birdie to defeat Zach Johnson. He earned world ranking points that day. And while it was an 18-man field, every player had to be among the top 50 in the world to qualify.

But he contradicted himself moments later when he talked about his progression. The 36-hole lead in the Australian Open. A share of the 54-hole lead in Abu Dhabi. Playing in the second-to-last group at Pebble Beach, where he was within one stroke of the lead on the front nine. The closing 62 at the Honda Classic that made Rory McIlroy sweat in the final hour.

He mentioned just about every tournament except the event he won. Even after the victory in December, Woods cited lyrics by hip-hop artist LL Cool J: "Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years."

As for that win in the Arnold Palmer Invitational?

"It was just a matter of staying the course and staying patient ... and here we are," Woods said afterward, another indication that beating a full field on the strongest tour in golf meant that he had arrived somewhere.

The next question is where he goes from here.

"Every golfer has two careers," Johnny Miller said at the end of NBC's telecast. "You have the first burst, and then sometimes you have a lull, and then you have a second career. Some guys have a pretty darn good second career. If I was coaching him, I'd say, 'OK, you made the mistakes you made. Let's just start over. This is the second career. You've got a new swing. Let's see what you can do with this one.'

"It wouldn't totally surprise me if he were to win 35 to 40 times from now," he said. "He could do it. The way he is playing right now, he is going to kick butt."

Miller might be getting carried away, and that wouldn't be the first time.

One win is not a large enough sample, although the way Woods won was startling. He beat Graeme McDowell by five shots, the 16th time on the PGA Tour that he has won by at least that many strokes.

This wasn't a case of Woods in the lead and everyone melting. Bay Hill was as stern a test this side of a major because of its firm conditions and wicked hole locations for the final round. Woods closed with a 2-under 70. The next 16 players behind him on the leaderboard going into the final round failed to break par.

What made Woods so enjoyable to watch was that he could hit shots that few other players could. He has shown glimpses of that dating to the Australian Open. He is doing it more often now.

But winning 35 to 40 times at age 36, with four knee operations, and a left Achilles tendon that only two weeks ago caused him to withdraw in the middle of a final round?

Bay Hill was a big step. At his first tournament with Woods in October, caddie Joe LaCava was asked why he took the job.

"Because he's Tiger Woods," he replied.

For the first time, the guy in the red shirt really did look like Tiger Woods.