Woods’s children were also with him last summer when he saw the first real glimmers of hope in his comeback — at the British Open. They saw him play his way into contention over the first three days of that tournament and then briefly take the lead in the final round on his way to a tie for sixth. Afterward, he told his children that he hoped that they were proud of how he fought and refused to give up.

At Augusta, his children arrived on Saturday night, providing extra motivation for Woods to prevail. Parenthood has imbued Woods with extra patience, which came in handy on the front nine on Sunday, when he made back-to-back bogeys while elsewhere on the course players were leapfrogging over one another and into contention with birdies and eagles. Indeed, late in Sunday’s round, 10 players, including Woods, were within two strokes of the lead.

But amid that intense grouping, it was Woods who found a way to finish first.

Woods’s first Masters title, in 1997, by an astounding 12 strokes, left an indelible mark on the sport. He became the first African-American — Woods is also half Thai — to win golf’s most exalted championship. He reshaped the game, making it more athletic and more popular — especially outside the United States.

In 1997, the first person at Augusta to greet Woods as he came off the final hole in triumph was his father, whose grand plan Woods had realized with his victory. His mother was there, too. She was also on hand Sunday, but after her embrace, Woods took a few steps forward and was smothered by his second family — the other players, some of whom were almost young enough to be his children.

Sunday’s final round was moved up five hours to avoid an ominous forecast for later in the day. Players were grouped in threesomes to speed play. Woods took the lead for good on the par 5 15th hole with a birdie putt. And when he then arrived at the 16th tee, a familiar face and friend — the record-setting swimmer Michael Phelps — was standing close enough to touch him.</s>AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods won the Masters Tournament on Sunday — his first major win since 2008 when he won the U.S. Open.

He shot 13 under par.

Tiger’s two children and his mother were all at the Masters to see him win.

In 2018, the 43-year-old won the Tour Championship at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club, which was his first golf tournament win in more than five years.

Tiger last won the Masters Tournament in 2005. He also won the Masters in 1997, 2001 and 2002.

Along with 2008, he won the U.S. Open in 2000 and 2002.</s>AUGUSTA, Ga. -- History will judge whether the 83rd Masters Tournament will be considered as magical as Jack Nicklaus shooting 30 on the second nine to win a record sixth green jacket in 1986 at the age of 46.

But Tiger Woods’ victory in on Sunday at the Augusta National Golf Club will always be in the conversation.

At 43, 14 years after winning his fourth Masters, Woods finally has a fifth. He broke from a large pack of contenders with birdies at Nos. 13, 15 and 16 and shot 70 to win by one shot at 13-under-par 275.

Woods had a two-shot lead at the least and needed only a bogey to win. He laid back off the tee with a 3-wood, had issues with tree branches and had to leave his second shot short, then pitched onto the green and two-putted from 14 feet.

Brooks Koepka (70), who had won two of the last three majors in 2018, Dustin Johnson (68) and Xander Schauffele (68) tied for second at 12-under.

Francesco Molinari, who was tied for the lead through 36 holes and led by two through 54, finished with a 74 and tied Tony Finau (72), Jason Day (67) and Webb Simpson (70) at 11-under.

Woods captured his 81st PGA Tour title, one short of Sam Snead’s all-time record, and his 15th major, three shy of Nicklaus’ record. He earned a Masters record first-place check of $2,070,000.

It also was the first time Woods won a major after trailing to begin the final round.

Woods also won his first major championship in 11 years. His 14th major title came at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines -- with a broken leg, as it later was revealed.

Woods has rallied from personal issues and a series of injuries (he’s had four back surgeries) since he last won the Masters. He missed back-to-back Masters in 2016 and 2017 and during the CBS telecast, analyst Nick Faldo, a three-time winner at Augusta, said Woods confided to him three years ago that he may not play golf again.

But Woods began his comeback last season when he contended in the Open Championship and tied for sixth (Molinari won, playing with Woods in the final round) and then finished solo second in the PGA, two shots behind Koepka.

Woods ended the season by winning the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta, his first victory in more than five years.

Woods began day two shots behind Molinari, trailed by three after a bogey at No. 10, then took advantage when Molinari hit balls into the water at Nos. 12 and 15.

After an errant drive at No. 11 (he still made par), Woods hit his next five fairways and his next six greens, two-putting for birdies at the par-5 13th and 15th, and then landing an 8-iron at No. 16 on the green, with the ball catching the slope perfectly and rolling 4 feet past.

He made the birdie for a two-shot lead.

Severe weather predicted for the area forced Augusta National officials to take extraordinary measures to make sure the final round finished on Sunday to avoid the first Monday finish since 1983.

The field of 65 was divided in threesomes, and started off the first and 10th tees at 7:30 a.m. The final threesome of Woods, Finau and Molinari teed off at 9:20 a.m.

It was the first two-tee start since 2005, the last time Woods won the Masters.</s>I found myself teary-eyed after the Masters golf tournament this past weekend.

On Sunday, Tiger Woods won his fifth green jacket and fifteenth major golf tournament. I, on the other hand, was a puddle of tears. How could I not be?

Here is a man that shot onto the scene of golf in 1997 like a cannon on the battlefield. He was fast, furious, and nothing was going to come in his way of scorching success.

Until it did.

Ever since he became a professional golfer—perhaps beforehand, too—Woods wanted to eclipse the record held by Jack Nicklaus of most number of major golf tournament wins. Perhaps Woods wanted to annihilate it.

The path seemed easy, at least for Woods. Fourteen majors were racked up in a short period. Nicklaus’s record of 18 majors was well within reach. After all, Woods was only 32 years-old at the time of his 14th win.

And then the proverbial wheels fell off the golf cart.

Woods was alleged to have committed adultery. His marriage fell apart, and two kids were left to split their time between two households. He infamously hit a tree near his home except it wasn’t with a golf ball. It was with his vehicle.

From there it was as though Woods suffered from what John Lennon once experienced: the “lost weekend.” Over an extended period of time in the early 1970s, Lennon moved to Los Angeles—separated from his wife, Yoko Ono—and he entered a state of hopelessness. There was no music, only wasted months of debauchery and imprudence.

Lennon came to his senses. The former Beatle snapped out of it after a few years of his “lost weekend.” Woods, on the other hand, seemed to be drifting into obscurity as “that guy who wasted the chance to beat the record of Nicklaus.” Ambien, Vicodin, booze; it was all adding up to a “what could have been” storyline.

Then, rather remarkably, the comeback came into focus. With his head screwed back on straight, Woods began the process of redemption. He worked with several coaches, psychologists, and aimed to right the wrong of his own version of Lennon’s “lost weekend.”

But unlike Lennon, Woods is an athlete. If health got in the way of the comeback, there’s no telling if another major tournament could be won. Golf is not guitar playing or singing.

Unlucky as it was, health became the new bunker for Woods. In fact, the PGA set up a site to list the entirety of his injuries.

Multiple back operations were needed not to play golf, but simply to walk without pain. Woods just wanted to pick up his kids, maybe give them a hug. The ordeal would have been excruciating, particularly if you have the drive—pun intended—of Woods.

He last won a major—the US Open—in 2008. As his personal life careened off a cliff and his health deteriorated, the quest to beat Nicklaus’s record lost interest with the media and golf enthusiasts. There was a five-year period when he didn’t win a single tournament, let alone a major. This is Tiger Woods! He always wins.

Fast forward to Sunday, April 14, 2019. Wearing his customary red Nike shirt for the occasion, he willed himself to the win in Augusta, Georgia. It was one of sport’s most incredible moments. The hero was back, conquering a multitude of terrors that laid in his path for nearly a decade.

You don’t even have to be a golf fan to be moved by the moment. And that moment taught us a few lessons.

Woods expression of love for his children was touching, if not utterly moving. Coming off of the 18th green you could see how incredibly poignant it was for Woods to hug those children, to share the moment of vanquished demons.

Hugs aside, the moment also teaches us the importance of resiliency. Woods has earned millions of dollars over his career. He doesn’t have to work. But for ten years, he willed his way from tragedy, stupidity, disappointment and unhealthiness to become a champion, again. The sweat, pain and tears he must have endured getting back to the summit are almost incalculable. Grit for the win!

And finally, what Woods also exhibited was humility. When he was younger and winning tournaments week after week, there was a wicked level of cockiness in his game, his demeanor. These days, and particularly after his latest Masters win, you can see how much more humble he acts with others. Modesty is oft overlooked as an important trait of genuine leadership.

Love, resiliency and humility: three traits we can learn from Tiger Woods on the occasion of his 15th major win.

I cried a few tears for Woods on Sunday. I’m not ashamed, either. We all have our demons. It’s great to have another example through Woods of how to overcome them.</s>AUGUSTA, Ga. -- They lined up five deep outside of rope barriers that the security guards were pulling tight to clear a path for Tiger Woods, craning their necks and cheering his name as he strode toward the old clubhouse.

This was just after 6 p.m. on a Saturday, and no one seemed to care that Woods, his lavender mock turtleneck coated in sweat, had won nothing except for their collective imaginations. Some stood on their toes for a better view. Others lined up along the fairway on the first hole, some more than a hundred yards away, just to catch a glimpse.

This was no longer wishful thinking on these famous rolling hills at Augusta National. This was real. This was happening. Woods had played himself into the final group on a Sunday at the Masters -- and, because almost everything about this tournament has been a little loopier than usual, that group will be a threesome.

It’ll be “Breakfast at Augusta” here, maybe the craziest day Sunday in Masters history, because of thunderstorms that will descend upon the area in the afternoon. Francisco Molinari, at 13 under, will have a two-stroke lead and the confidence from winning the British Open last summer. Tony Finau, tied with Woods at 11 under, is playing better than anyone in the field after carding a 64 in a brilliant third-round performance.

Still: It’ll be all about Tiger when that final group arrives at the course for a very un-Masters-like 9:20 am tee time. It’ll be the most anticipated final round here in years, one that will be compressed into a tight window as those storm clouds build.

Lightning will strike at Augusta ... eventually. Will it happen after Woods claims the green jacket for the first time in 14 years?

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in contention here,” Woods said. “But, then again, the last two majors count for something. I’ve been in the mix with a chance to win major championships in the last two years. So that helps.”

He’s been in contention, yes. But he hasn’t won one since the 2008 U.S. Open, and it’s hard to even remember all of the bumps since then. One major scandal. Four knee surgeries. Four back surgeries. Forget winning a major. For a time, Woods himself wondered if he’d even play in tournaments that matter again.

Few athletes of his stature have fallen as far as he did, dropping out of the top 1,100 in the world rankings. Everyone got giddy because he had a chance to win in Greensboro a few years back. Winning the Masters? That seemed like crazy talk.

“I wouldn’t have foreseen that (drought), for sure,” Woods said. “After I won my 14th (major), I felt like I still had plenty more major championships that I could win, but unfortunately I just didn’t do it. I put myself there with chances on the back nine on various Sundays and just haven’t done it.”

He has had plenty of chances to disappear from this one, too. He missed a series of short birdie putts in the third round, ruining an opportunity to seize the lead. An over-zealous security guard nearly took him out with a slide on the 14th hole, a scary moment given his long history of injuries.

He was a middling 1 over through five holes for the day on Saturday when, finally, the putts started falling. He birdied Nos. 8, 13, 15 and 16 to make his steady climb up the leaderboard, so when he made the walk up 18th fairway at 6:04 p.m., the fans rose to give him a standing ovation.

Woods lifted his putter once, then twice, and two minutes later, he missed a 25-foot birdie try by a couple inches. Even that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm as the fans rose for another standing ovation. Woods’ caddie, Joe LaCava, gave him a fist bump and said “good work” before handing him the scorecard.

Look: Sunday might be a downer before the rain starts. Woods has never won a major without holding the lead when Sunday begins, and the man he is chasing is no slouch. Molinari, who once caddied here for his brother, would be a fantastic story, too. So would Finau, who dislocated his ankle here playing the par-3 tournament.

But even they seem to recognize that they are supporting actors in this drama.

“It’s always a great tournament whenever Tiger is in the mix, and he’s 100 percent in the mix right now,” Finau said. “It’s going to be a Masters to remember, I know that for sure.”

It’ll start soon after sunrise. Woods insisted that he didn’t need to win another Masters, but he’ll probably feel differently as he steps onto that first tee box. Just imagine how that crowd will look a few hours later if he walks off this course a winner.

Steve Politi may be reached at spoliti@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevePoliti. Find NJ.com on Facebook.</s>Fallen hero, crippled star, and now a Masters champion again. Tiger Woods rallied to win the Masters for the fifth time Sunday, a comeback that goes well beyond the two-shot deficit he erased before a delirious audience at Augusta National that watched memories turn into reality. Woods had gone nearly 11 years since he won his last major, 14 years since that green jacket was slipped over his Sunday red shirt. He made it worth the wait, closing with a 2-under 70 for a one-shot victory, and setting off a scene of raw emotion. He scooped up 10-year-old Charlie, born a year after Woods won his 14th major at Torrey Pines in the 2008 US Open.

He hugged his mother and then his 11-year-old daughter Sam, and everyone else in his camp that stood by him through a public divorce, an embarrassing DUI arrest from a concoction of painkillers and surgeries. “Wooooooo!!!” Woods screamed as he headed for the scoring room with chants of “Tiger! Tiger! Tiger” echoing as loud as any of the roars on the back nine at Augusta National. Woods lost his impeccable image to a sex scandal. He lost his health to four back surgeries that left him unable to get out of bed, much less swing a club, and he went two years without even playing a major. It was two years ago at the Masters when Woods said he needed a nerve block just to walk to the Champions Dinner. At that time, he thought his career is over.

Now the comeback is truly complete. Woods won his 15th major, leaving three short of the standard set by Jack Nicklaus. It was his 81st victory on the PGA Tour, one title away from the career record held by Sam Snead. “A big ‘well done’ from me to Tiger,” Nicklaus tweeted. “I am so happy for him and for the game of golf. This is just fantastic!!!” It was the first time Woods won a major when trailing going into the final round, and he needed some help from Francesco Molinari, the 54-hole leader who still was up two shots heading into the heart of Amen Corner.

And that’s when all hell broke loose at Augusta. Molinari’s tee shot on the par-3 12th never had a chance, hitting the bank and tumbling into Rae’s Creek for double bogey. Until then, Molinari had never trailed in a round that began early in threesomes to finish ahead of storms. And then it seemed as though practically everyone had a chance. Six players had a share of the lead at some point on the back. With the final group still in the 15th fairway, there was a five-way tie for the lead. And that’s when Woods seized control, again with plenty of help.

Molinari’s third shot clipped a tree and plopped straight down in the water for another double bogey. Woods hit onto the green, setting up a two-putt birdie for his first lead of the final round. Woods followed with a tee shot on the par-3 16th that rode down the slope next to the cup and settled two feet away for his final birdie. That gave him a two-shot cushion, and no one was going to catch him.</s>LAS VEGAS (AP) — A bettor who risked $85,000 on Tiger Woods winning the Masters is now more than a million dollars richer.

The person who placed the bet at a Las Vegas sportsbook will get a check for $1.19 million Monday.

Sportsbook operator William Hill US says the bettor's win is the largest golf payout in the company's history.

William Hill US director of trading Nick Bogdanovich says Sunday was a great day for golf but a "painful" one for the sportsbook operator.

Woods rallied to win the Masters for the fifth time before a delirious audience at Augusta National. It had been 14 years since he last won the Masters and 11 years since his last major victory.

The bettor placed the wager Tuesday at 14-1 odds.</s>In one of the more improbable comeback stories in recent years, golf legend Tiger Woods returned from serious back injuries – as well as personal issues he has been dealing with for nearly a decade – to win the 83rd overall Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia.

The win was Woods’ fifth Masters tournament victory, and the 15th major tournament of his storied career.

There was an outpouring of support for the legendary golfer on social media, with much of it coming from former and current Seattle Seahawks players.

Woods wasn’t the only big winner on Sunday, as Seahawks tight end Will Dissly pointed out. Apparently, a gambler was set to win a whopping $1.2 million dollars if Woods pulled off the victory – making that fan the happiest man in America outside of maybe Tiger himself.

Many Seahawks clearly enjoyed some Sunday morning golf, but Monday marks the beginning of the NFL season, with voluntary workouts getting started at the VMAC practice facility in Renton.</s>AUGUSTA, UNITED STATES (AFP) - Tiger Woods won the 83rd Masters on Sunday (April 14), capturing his 15th Major title to cement an epic return from scandal and injuries that once threatened his career.

Woods, who started the day two shots behind Francesco Molinari, fired a final-round 70 for a 13-under par total of 275 and a one-shot win over Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka.

Woods, clad in bright red, raised his club and fist to the sky then hugged his mother and two children after sinking a short bogey putt to seal the win as the crowd erupted in chants of “Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!”

Woods had birdied the par-five 15th hole to take a one-shot lead and stretched it to two strokes with a birdie at the par-three 16th as Molinari’s challenge faced with double bogeys at 12 and 15.

Woods’s majesti march to victory was made to the accompaniment of the roars of the Augusta National crowds – those watching him and those who saw his name go up atop the leaderboards around the course.

The 14 years between his fourth Masters triumph and his fifth topped the previous longest gap of 13 years between Gary Player’s 1961 win and his 1974 title.</s>Tiger Woods broke an 11-year drought to win his 15th Major title and his first green jacket since 2005.

Woods, 43, shot a final-round 70 to win by one shot over Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka.

Here are the tournament results:

The long and bumpy road to the top of the leaderboard included multiple surgeries and headlines about his life off the green.

In his traditional red Nike polo, Woods kept his composure until he officially won but fans shared their reaction on social media throughout the day:

Woods wasn’t the only one to win a big purse today.
Tiger Woods wins the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, his first major golf win in 11 years and his first win at the Masters since 2005.