September 2018 – Drought ends at East Lake
Woods packs much into the 30 days of September.
He finishes Round 2 of the FedEx Cup playoffs at the Dell Technologies with a 71 on Labor Day.
His fortunes quickly improve a day later when he was selected as a captain’s pick by Jim Furyk for the U.S. 2018 Ryder Cup team.
He reaches the Tour Championship ranked No. 20 in the FedEx Cup Standings. Woods nearly wins the FedEx Cup with his victory at the Tour Championship in Atlanta. It is his first PGA Tour triumph in 1,876 days and the 80th of his career.
A cascade of humanity awaits as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy walk to the 18th green during the final round of the Tour Championship at East Lake. (Chris Condon/PGA Tour)
The win at East Lake completes a long and tortuous journey for Woods. A gallery of thousands breaks through the ropes on 18 and swarms to the edge of final green to witness golf history and the culmination of one of sports’ greatest comebacks ever.
“It was just a grind out there. I loved every minute of it,” Woods says after the victory. “As the year progressed, I proved that I could play.”
By the end of the month, Woods and his Ryder Cup teammates are reeling – at least on the golf course. Woods goes 0-4 and never reaches the 18th hole in any match at Le Golf National.
On the personal front, a judge in Florida rules that Woods has successfully completed the terms of the probation stemming from his DUI arrest in 2017. The decision comes a months ahead of schedule.
