Everyone loves The Masters.  The players love it.  The announcers love it.  We.  LOVE. It.

We love it because of the history of Augusta National – Bobby Jones & Alastair MacKenzie, Palmer, Player, & Nicklaus.  The best of the best have played in the Masters.  Today, Tiger Woods added to that history.

Say what you will about Tiger – and we know you will – he IS golf.  Even through everything we’ve watched him go through – the affairs, the injuries & surgeries, the DUI arrest – we still pulled for him.  In some cases we pulled harder for him.

Ask those that know me and they’ll tell you that I never really rooted for Tiger.  I found him to be too detached…stoic and disengaged from his fans.  He changed the game – brought new fans yet paid them no mind.

Since his comeback, however, he has changed.  He’s become way more available, open, and engaging.  His joking around with Kevin Na at The Player’s was a great example – he was light and funny.  His reaction to today’s win was another great show of real emotion – and so perfect.

As the round unfolded you wondered if he’d have enough to get it done.  Once he grabbed the lead you wondered how he would celebrate.  There was no way he was relinquishing that – a point he proved at 16 by adding to the lead.

In my lifetime there have been so many memorable Masters victors – Jack in ’86, Crenshaw winning the week his mentor Harvey Penick died, Phil winning his first major, and of course now FIVE Tiger wins.

It’s hard to decide which of his wins is more historic – his first or today.  In 1997 he broke through barriers, announcing his presence and proving that he was ready for the Big Time – and the game changed.  Today he showed us that he’s back, and that it’s for real.  His injuries behind him, his game is again ready for the Big Time – and the rest of the players better look out.

Today was special.  I hope you got to watch it.  I hope you remember it.  Tiger Woods is back!  The game of golf is better off today than it was yesterday.  Tiger Woods needs golf, but not as much as golf needs Tiger Woods.

Welcome home, Tiger.