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Healthy, happy Tiger Woods ready for Tour Championship, Ryder Cup challenges

Tiger Woods (14 major titles) remains one of the most decorated golfers in the sport's history. But things are different for him at age 42.

ATLANTA — Tiger Woods may be a top-3 performer in golf history, and likely the sport's most marketable global icon, but that doesn't make him invulnerable to pain.

The last five years have proven this to be true. The strong-willed, but hardly unbreakable Woods has been plagued by knee, Achilles, leg, wrist and back injuries.

There was even an infamous instance of Tiger's glutes not "activating," forcing an early exit to a California-based tournament three years ago.

The back troubles have been especially daunting for Woods. Despite feeling healthy and up to the physical demands of playing golf on a consistent basis (roughly two tournaments per month), the 42-year-old remains one sluggish night of sleep or one body-wrenching swing on the course away from being unable to compete at the highest of levels.

In other words, Woods has no choice but to address these confounding back issues one day at a time.

Just like millions of Americans.

Does that make Tiger more appreciative of the game, compared to his dominant days in his 20s and 30s?

(Woods won 14 major championships from 1997-2008 ... and at one time in 2000-01, he served as defending champion for The Masters, U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and PGA Championship.)

"I want to say 'yes,' because I didn't think I'd ever play again," recalled Woods during Wednesday's pre-Tour Championship media session, while lamenting the recent difficulties of just getting through a day, without any injury setbacks. "When you're lying on the floor (writhing in pain), golf was the furthest thing from my mind."

Can you believe it? Woods has not teed it up for the Tour Championship at historic East Lake Golf Club since 2013. As the best example of his notable absence, while playing a practice round on the back nine this week, Woods had the course layout transposed in his mind.

"I thought it was the front 9," said Woods, eliciting laughter from the media cluster. "I still think that 18 is a par-3."

Since the Tour Championship event in 2013, the golfing legend hasn't won a single tournament in the professional ranks.

No majors during that span, either, although Woods' most recent resume included a sixth-place finish at The Open Championship (Scotland) and a thrilling second-place finish at The PGA Championship near St. Louis, Missouri, where Woods was feted louder by the gallery than the actual champion—the red-hot Brooks Koepka (three major titles in the span of 14 months).

And yet, Woods has seemingly found peace with the altered projections of his golfing career.

As in ...

**He might never catch Jack Nicklaus' all-time mark of 18 major championships.

**Woods might never repeat that magical run at Augusta (2005-11), where he posted seven straight top-6-or-higher finishes with The Masters.

**Heck, he might never earn capture another FedEx Cup championship or walk away with this week's Tour Championship trophy.

The larger goals, however, have already been achieved for 2018: Woods will compete hard in this week's event; and then next weekend in Paris, he'll be one of the featured performers on the United States team in the Ryder Cup—the ultimate team event in golf.

"This season itself has been amazing," says Woods, alluding more to his health, conditioning and confidence than the lack of PGA Tour victories. "To come back from what I've come back, to get back here (to Atlanta), it's something that I'm proud of."

Thanks to good health, Woods has resumed his old rituals of maniacally preparing for competition; and he believes it will pay off, sooner than later, in terms of claiming signature victories.

"There was always something," said Woods, when asked to pinpoint any recent struggles during crunch time. "(Sometimes), I didn't drive well, I didn't chip well, I didn't putt well ... there was always something missing.

"Hopefully, it'll all come together this week."

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR TIGER TO WIN THE FEDEX CUP?

Thank goodness the in-house mathematicians have already done the work with the above question, especially during the middle of football season.

Recently, Woods crept into the Top 20 for FedEx points; and while that sounds great on paper, it would still require a mini-miracle to walk away with the year-ending title.

In fact, here's what cumulatively needs to happen this week, a veritable perfect storm of consequences, in addition to Woods posting his first professional victory since 2013:

a) Top-ranked player Bryson DeChambeau must finish 15th or worse.

b) No. 2-ranked Justin Rose ends up sixth or lower.

c) No. 3-ranked Tony Finau cannot finish any higher than tied for third.

d) No. 4-ranked Dustin Johnson would finish no higher than third (or a three-way tie for second).

e) No. 5-ranked Justin Thomas would earn nothing beyond third place.

f) No. 6-ranked Keegan Bradley doesn't win this week's tournament.

In other words, no one could fault Woods for simply enjoying the back-to-back exhilaration that comes with Atlanta this week ... and the impending flight to Paris.

He's already playing with proverbial house money.

"I've exceeded most of (my personal goals)," says Woods, who was an easy wild-card pick for the Ryder Cup team, captained by Jim Furyk. "The beginning of the year was so unknown ... I didn't know if I'd make it to the Florida swing (of tournaments in February/March)."

RYDER CUP MOTIVATIONAL CHIP

Two years ago, Woods was a coaching mentor for the American squad at Ryder Cup, due to injury.

Four years ago, Tiger also wasn't well enough to compete.

And six years ago, Woods was 0-3-1 for Ryder Cup weekend, while suffering the personal indignity of having his final Sunday match with Francesco Molinari being rendered moot since the Europeans had already clinched the championship on American soil.

"I thought my match would be the deciding point," said Woods, referencing the 2012 Ryder Cup in suburban Chicago. He then added, "It was tough seeing (the Euros) celebrate on the 18th fairway."

Those wounds run deep with the new and improved Woods. Which begs the questions:

**How will he be used at next week's Ryder Cup?

**Who represents the best fit as Woods' prospective partner during the Four-Ball and Best-Ball competitions (Friday/Saturday)?

**And will Tiger be one of the last solo matches for Sunday, presumably with a chance to clinch the crown for the Americans?

Unfortunately, Woods cannot answer these hypotheticals more suited for Captain Furyk. At the same time, he doesn't mind fielding the queries, since it also means he's healthy and good to go, competition-wise.

"I'll never be as flexible as I used to be," says Woods, smiling through an analogy that everyone in their 40s can comprehend. "I'm reminded of that every day."

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