How Tiger made his comeback -- and how you can do it, too

Tiger Woods hits from the third tee during the final round of the Tour Championship golf tournament Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis) (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Tiger has done it! What many thought would never happen has. Tiger won a golf tournament. And not just a tournament but the season ending Tour Championship. He is a PGA Tour champion again.

It’s his first win since the 2013 WGC Bridgestone tournament five years ago. And he has now won 80 PGA tour events, second only to the 82 won by Sam Snead. It is an incredible comeback.

His setbacks have been well documented: four back surgeries including a fusion surgery, a DUI arrest and subsequent rehab. There were days when he could not even sit or stand comfortably. He did not know if he could ever play golf again let alone win a tournament.

At his press conference Sunday he said he was lucky. But it was not luck that made this momentous comeback a reality. Having studied and written on comebacks I know the steps to a comeback and they can be seen in Woods.

He Made Necessary Changes

A comeback always begins with change. You have to be willing to do things differently from what you’ve done up to this point. The big change for Tiger was health. After four surgeries he is finally pain-free and can swing a golf club like he used to.

But he chose to keep getting surgeries until the final one worked. He made the change necessary for his comeback. Without a healthy back there is no win, no comeback.

Even though Woods had experienced gigantic setbacks in his personal life, he has moved past them. He has rehabbed his injuries and worked hard to recapture his dominant game.

A smaller but significant change going into the FedEx playoffs was that he changed the shaft on his driver and added a bit more loft. His driving became more consistent and gave him the chance to use his shorter irons and get closer to the pin.

Change happens when you are committed to your comeback and that is precisely what Tiger has shown all of us.

He Restored His Confidence

Your confidence always takes a big hit when you have a setback.  Confidence is crucial to a comeback. It is the power that propels you into your comeback. Tiger gave himself the proper amount of time – he didn’t rush his comeback like he had done before. There was a time everyone was speculating when Tiger might come back, and he really didn’t have a solid answer for quite a while.

He needed time to figure out how to build a swing with his fused back, time to find the best equipment specs, time to get accustomed to playing regularly again. But by the time he reached the playoffs he had all those things down right and he finally found his old confidence again. The result is a comeback win.

He Created Powerful Momentum

Momentum is your best friend when making a comeback.  A little momentum can turn into a lot of momentum, which produces emerging energy and limitless passion that fuels a comeback.

There was plenty of momentum building, starting with his birdie-filled weekend at the Players Championship, then another near victory at the Quicken Loans National, where only Francesco Molinari ran away from the field. And finally at The British Open, where Woods took the lead at a major only to fall short of Molinari once again. The latest bit of momentum was his final-round 64 (his lowest final round at a major) at the PGA Championship.

Going into the Playoffs, Woods had momentum and it just kept building. Once he started off the Tour Championship with the lead he never gave it up. He capitalized on his opportunities and rode the momentum to victory.

He Resurrected His Dreams

Setbacks do not control your life. No matter what has happened you don’t allow your setbacks to define you. Dreams are what focus you on your future and not your past.

Even though Woods had experienced gigantic setbacks in his personal life, he has moved past them. He has rehabbed his injuries and worked hard to recapture his dominant game.

All of this has been motivated by his dream to be the greatest golfer of all time, to win the most tournaments of any golfer and to win the most majors. And he is a real force again.

Woods is now focused on The Ryder Cup. He will lead the United States team in France. And next year his comeback continues. The next step will be his fifteenth major championship.