Gavin Liu, G 10, BASIS International School Shenzhen

Tiger Woods, who started playing golf because of his father, was a child prodigy.

At 3, he shot 48 in nine holes and was called a future legend by Golf Digest at age 5. In his second year as a professional golfer, he won The Masters by 12 shots, becoming the first Afro-American to win a major event in golf. Since then, a decade-long dominance for Woods began. During his prime, he won 14 major championships, nine PGA Tour money titles and nine Player of the Year titles. In 2002, Woods was the highest-paid athlete and held the top spot for the next eight years.

However, in 2011, he suffered a medial collateral ligament tear and left Achilles tendon injuries in the third round of The Masters and had to withdraw from the following month’s Players Championship, slipping from No. 1 to No. 15 in the world rankings. In March of the following year, he reinjured his left Achilles tendon and withdrew from the World Championship final.

Over the next two years, Woods underwent surgery, and was involved in sex scandals. In December 2016, Woods returned to the Hero World Challenge, but he finished at the bottom, falling out of the top 500 in the world ranking. In July 2017, He was ranked outside the top 1,000 in the world. With an estranged wife, scandal and injuries, Woods’ life seemed to have hit bottom. After his latest back surgery, people thought he might never play golf again.

Surprisingly in 2018, Woods won his 80th PGA Tour title with 11-under par. He not only broke the 1,876-day-long championship drought, but also started a festival for fans around the world.

The crowd broke down and rushed into the fairway, a pathway on both sides of which thousands of audience members were chanting, “Ti-Ger, Ti-Ger, Ti-Ger.” The shouts rocked people’s eardrums as the golfer made his way to the 18th green. Woods returned to his prime with his 80th PGA Tour victory. This was not just a victory; it was the glory of the whole golf world, representing the real spirit of competitive sports. In the following year, he won The Masters.

At the age of 42, he stood in front of the crowd again as a champion, wounded and decorated.

On the morning of Feb. 23, 2021, he seriously injured his legs in a car accident, again threatening to end his career completely.

He again didn’t let fans down. On April 7, 2022, Woods, wearing a flamboyant pink shirt, walked up to the first tee as the 15-time major champion to play in The Masters. He returned to his beloved Augusta National Golf Club 508 days after a devastating car accident. Then, on May 22, Woods announced his early withdrawal from the PGA Championship. After shooting 79 in the third round, Woods said his right leg, injured in a car accident, was in pain. It was the first time Woods had withdrawn during play in a major championship.

The United States has many great sport stars, such as basketball’s Michael Jordan, American football’s Tom Brady, and swimming’s Michael Phillips. All of them are at the top of their fields, and all have had their moments when they have driven fans crazy with excitement. However, none of them has climbed back to the top as Woods has, at 43.

Woods may not be able to complete at the highest level, but being able to swing the golf club again is already legendary enough.