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2012 Memorial Tournament: Tiger Rekindles His Golf Magic

This weekend in golf was filled with chips we will never forget, and putts we wished we didn't see. The tournament started by the "Golden Bear" himself, Jack Nicklaus, was truly a magic filled weekend.

Jack Nicklaus had a vision to create a golf club that encompassed his personal and professional life; to create a golf tournament that would embody his passion for golf. In May of 1976 is when the first Memorial tournament took placed, and the roster was a Star Studded roster, with only the best in the world competing.

The first winner of the whole tournament was Roger Maltbie. Maltbie overtook Hale Irwin in a playoff, shooting a birdie in the fourth extra hole, solidifying himself in Memorial Tournament history.

Today the competition, the tension and the pressure are just as thick as they were over 30 years ago. With World Renowned golfers, coming to compete from invitations only, inviting only golfers who were in the top 75 for purse winnings in the previous year, guarantees that only the best, and the most formidable are competing each and every year.

This year's winner however won in dramatic, high drama fashion, rekindling some of the old Tiger magic. Tiger Woods was down 2 strokes before he teed off on the 15th hole, only four more holes until the winner of the tournament would be decided. Birding on the 15th hole the tear began that would shake the golf world would begin.

On the 16th hole, par-3, Tiger Woods' was playing 201 yards, having to go over water to a back left with the wind adding even more of a challenge than ever. Than Tiger with his mojo, his magic, whatever you decide to call it, birdies the hole, but not just birdies the hole, makes a shot that is in the top 10 of greatest plays ever.

Woods using an 8-iron to approach, launched the ball a bit far to the right, and overshot his mark passing the green. After the long approach Woods was faced with a challenging chip shot, 50 feet from the pin, a shot where most golfers just hope to get within just ten feet of the pin.

"This was one of the hardest ones I've pulled off,'' Woods said.

Jack Nicklaus, the same man who founded the tournament and designed the course, said Tiger had little room for error.

"If he leaves it short, he's going to leave himself again a very difficult shot. If he hits it long, he's probably going to lose the tournament,'' Nicklaus said. "He lands the ball exactly where it has to land. It doesn't make a difference whether it went in the hole or not. Going in the hole was a bonus. But what a shot.

"I don't think under the circumstances I've ever seen a better shot.''

The shot is the golf shot that was heard around the world; it will be long remembered, as the tournament when Tiger Woods matched Jack Nicklaus overall wins at 73, ten years the younger to Jack when Nicklaus won his 73rd tournament. Another great achievement for Tiger Woods' this week is he moved up into the number 4 position in the world standings, ranked just behind Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood.

The question now comes up, is Tiger back? And is he really back, with the roller coaster of a career he has had in the past years since his major trail and tribulations he faced in life, it is really hard to tell.

My personal opinion, I sure hope he is. The man is electrical and he can really get the crowd fired up. The way he plays will bring even more life to the golf of sport and recharge the younger community of golfers.