It was a thrilling Sunday. A 21-year-old who had led the Masters for three full rounds had fallen apart. Birdies were abundant, as 10 golfers had a shot at the lead. More exciting than all of that though was one familiar face among all the rest – Eldrick “Tiger” Woods.

Woods had an unbelievable front nine in the final round of the Masters totaling six birdies, offset by only one bogey. He had come from seven strokes back and had a share of the lead. A seemingly impossible deficit had been erased. Tiger was on top.

The back nine didn’t quite go the way the front nine did for the four-time green jacket winner. Only one birdie on the easier nine holes of the famous course at Augusta National was not enough to secure an improbable victory. An unknown South African golfer named Charl Schwartzel took the coveted jacket and won the tournament handily by shooting under par on each of the last four holes.

Schwartzel wasn’t the story though. The story was tied for fourth. After a year and a half of average play – mediocrity by Tiger’s standards – the most exciting golfer in the world was playing the way we all remember. On Sunday, Tiger made it OK to watch golf again. He made it OK to jump off your sofa and imitate a Tiger Woods fist pump after a birdie.

I haven’t wanted to watch golf for the last year and a half. What’s the point? My favorite golfer has been mired in a slump. This weekend, however, something felt different. Maybe that something is what caused youngster Rory McIlroy to implode with a triple-bogey on 10 going from first to seventh. Maybe that something was what forced me to turn on CBS and watch every minute of coverage.

Tiger may not have won the major, but he made it worth watching. He still hasn’t won since the media broke the story of his extra-marital affairs, but he will sooner rather than later. Tiger will still break Jack Nicklaus’ major wins record. He will still go down as the all-time greatest golfer ever, if he isn’t already.

Regardless, the fans had something to cheer about on Sunday. The roar from the crowd at Augusta was unmistakable. You couldn’t miss it after every Tiger Woods birdie. It signaled one thing – the champ is back.

Tiger’s swing might have changed, his personal life may have taken a hit, but his ability to capture the attention of a nation on a Sunday afternoon will always remain a tradition unlike any other.