749 Days Later, a Win for Tiger

(Newser) – After an excruciating 749 days and 26 tournaments with no wins, Tiger Woods finally came out No. 1 in an 18-man field yesterday at the Chevron World Challenge. His birdie putt on the final hole won the day, causing him to give a fist pump and yell in triumph, the AP reports. "It feels great. Kind of hard for me to elaborate beyond that," Woods said afterward. "I know it's been awhile, but for some reason, it feels like it hasn't." The last time he won was Nov. 15, 2009, 12 days before news of his infidelity broke. Some reactions:

• Mark Lamport-Stokes, Reuters: "While some will argue that Tiger Woods' long-awaited return to the winner's circle on Sunday came in an unofficial 18-man event with the odds stacked in his favor, there is no doubt the former world number one is back to form. … His one-shot victory will have sounded an ominous warning to his peers of what they can expect of him in 2012."
• Cindy Boren, Washington Post: "You remember Tiger Woods on Sundays? Red shirt, jackwagons in the gallery yelling 'get in the hole' with every swing, the grin, the victorious fist pump? That guy and that scene—missing since the 2009 Australian Masters—were back Sunday."
• Bob Harig, ESPN: "If so inclined, there are certainly more than a few ways to poke holes in Tiger Woods' victory on Sunday … Winning the Chevron isn't exactly the same as hoisting a major championship trophy. But he had to start somewhere, didn't he?"