Can he still do it? Tiger's quest to pass Jack Nicklaus, and cleanse his legacy in the process

Oh how we miss them. On a beautiful Sunday in early December, Tiger Woods put himself in a situation that we have not seen in what feels like ages. On the eighteenth hole of the final round, he had a putt to win the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks California. Viewers across the Nation held their breath, as he swung the putt through and watched the eight feet the ball traveled until finally dropping in the heart of the hole. The crowds exploded in applause, but more importantly, a one-legged fist pump, accompanied by a roar from Tiger as he collected his first win in over two years.

For the past decade, we have been accustomed to seeing Tiger Woods dominate the game of golf. He has become the face of the sport, and with it one of the greatest athletes of all time. Whenever the name Tiger was brought up, there was only praise that could be said of him. He was said to have the strongest mental attitude in the history sports. Only Michael Jordan could be brought up as the same level as him. It was simple- Win, or go home. As each of them approached a Major or a Playoff game, they already envisioned themselves winning, and projected themselves as the best of their sports. If they did not come out on top, it was a failure. Tiger was the definition of clutch, making more putts to win than one could count on their fingers.

However the past two years have been a serious struggle. Ever since that November night when he crashed his car, and was caught having an affair with his wife, Tiger has been a different person. His seemingly perfect reputation became heavily tainted. He was dropped from sponsors Gatorade, Accenture, Tag Heuer, and Gillette, with only Nike keeping him on board. He failed to win a tournament in the following two years, and for the first time in his career, missed several cuts. Whispers began to grow louder, "Is Tiger done?" The past two years were filled with not only speculation, but also injury. An achilles and knee sprain forced him out for another six months, with analysts suggesting that he may have won his last major.

Though now in 2012, a new year begins. Tiger is finally 100% health for the first time in almost a year, and has a new drive for victory. His goal is still the same as when he joined the tour, to become the greatest golfer to ever play, and although many critics believe he already is, he still must pass the magic 18 of Jack Nicklaus to truly cement his name in history. I believe that Tiger Woods is back, and will not give up until he has passed that mark. We all fight through adversity, and although it may have taken him a few years, the true Tiger has returned.