Reuters / AP Images
- Serena Williams cried while watching Tiger Woods win the 2019 Masters Tournament.
- Woods returned to the pinnacle of golf after 11 years without a major victory when he won one of the sport’s biggest prizes on Sunday.
- The American has overcome a public divorce, a 2017 arrest, and numerous back surgeries.
- Williams said she was inspired by the 43-year-old’s return to the top.
- Read all of Business Insider’s coverage of the 2019 Masters right here.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Serena Williams says she was overcome with emotion while watching Tiger Woods return to the pinnacle of golf after over a decade.
Woods won the 2019 Masters Tournament with a total four-round score of -13, a one shot lead over American rivals Xander Schauffele, Dustin Johnson, and Brooks Koepka who shared second place.
The 43-year-old’s victory on Sunday was his fifth at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, but his first major win in 11 years.
His last major success was the US Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California in 2008. In the years since, he has had to overcome a public divorce from Elin Nordegren, his wife of six years, as well as a 2017 arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs after he was found asleep in his car in a traffic lane with the engine running.
He also underwent four back surgeries which affected his ability to play and consequently saw his world golf rank plummet to 1,119.
But in little over a year, Woods has returned to the highest echelons of his sport and has become front-page news once again. Woods — the old master of Augusta — is back, and few are as elated as Williams, who said she is "inspired" by the golfer’s return.
Read more: Here are the 48 best photos from the Masters so far
"I am literally in tears watching Tiger Woods," Williams tweeted on Sunday. "This is greatness like no other. Knowing all you have been through physically to come back and do what you just did today? Congrats a million times! I am so inspired thank you buddy."
Williams herself is enjoying a comeback in tennis.
Like Woods, Williams is seen as one of the greatest players of all time in her chosen sport.
In 2017 she took time off from tennis for the birth of her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. She returned to tennis after "almost" dying from giving birth and, like Woods, is determined to win a major in her comeback.
She came close in 2018 when she reached the final of the 2018 Wimbledon Championships and the 2018 US Open but was knocked out at the very last stage of the competitions by Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka, respectively.
Williams withdrew from the recent Miami Open because of injury, but is expected to challenge for the upcoming majors at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Woods, meanwhile, will likely be one of the favorites at golf’s remaining majors of the year — the PGA Championship, the US Open, and The Open Championship.
NOW WATCH: NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explains why the NCAA should pay college athletes
See Also:
- Meet Erica Herman, Tiger Woods’ mysterious girlfriend who was at the Masters to celebrate his win
- Tiger Woods’ former trainer says Tiger used to have a laborious training schedule that included 13 hours of practice
- Tiger Woods wins the Masters
SEE ALSO: Tiger Woods wins the Masters
Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Alan Dawson)