Doug Saffir

It’s been nearly 1,500 days since Tiger Woods last lifted the trophy at a PGA Major Championship. But a resounding fist pump on the 18th green at Royal Lytham punctuated a second round that leaves arguably the greatest golfer of all time on the precipice of a return to greatness.

Of course, it will take a long weekend at the Open Championship before The Return of Tiger can be complete. He’ll have to compete with leader Brandt Snedeker, who has not hit anything worse than a par on a dangerous course featuring over 200 bunkers. And he’ll also have to compete with the sinking feeling that his time at the top, his opportunity to threaten Jack Nicklaus’ Major Championships record, and his title as the greatest of all time ended when he drove his car off the road in November of 2009.

But that fist pump early Friday afternoon provided a glimpse of what Tiger is capable of. After sinking a tough bunker shot for birdie and closing his second round just four strokes off the lead, it’s hard not to hope for the Tiger of old this weekend.

After all, the Tiger of old is what brought golf to life for a generation of young athletes in the late 1990’s and what made Sunday afternoon’s without football a lot more interesting.

And he’s still in there, somewhere. And it’s only a matter of time until he returns.

With four years between today and his last Major title, it’s hard to imagine that return will come this Sunday. But he’s certainly in contention and, after a magic finish on Friday where the cheers were reminiscent of 2008, it’s hard not to have hope for Tiger.

Photo via albany.com