Woods close call, Mickelson and Morikawa showed class

Tiger Woods smiles on the 10th tee box during a practice round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at TPC Harding Park. Mandatory. [USA Today Sports]

Tiger Woods is no stranger to trials and tribulations and 2021 proved to be another test of his resolve after a serious car accident left the 15-times major champion in a wheelchair, facing doubts about his career.

The 45-year-old, who won the last of his majors at the 2019 Masters following multiple back and knee operations as well as personal problems, was close to having his leg amputated after he lost control and crashed in Los Angeles in February.

A recovering Woods, who is set to returned at the PNC Championship and played with 12-year-old son Charlie, told fans hoping he can have another title tilt on the grandest stages that there was some way to go.

“Maybe one day it’ll be good enough where I can get out and compete against the best in the world again,” Woods said, adding he hoped to play in the British Open in July.

Woods’ journey to the brink of a comeback was one of many inspiring stories this year and if he needs reminding that time is on his side he only has to look at Phil Mickelson, who at 50 became the oldest major champion with his PGA Championship win.

It followed Hideki Matsuyama becoming the first Japanese man to claim a major with a one-shot Masters win at Augusta National while Collin Morikawa flew the flag for the young guns, sealing his second major at the British Open.

Morikawa ended the year as the European Tour number one -- the first American to do so -- with victory at the DP World Tour Championship.

Covid-19 continued to affect players and a second infection in two months cruelly denied Open winner and world number one Jon Rahm a shot at the Olympic gold medal, which American Xander Schauffele won in Tokyo.

The virus earlier forced Rahm to make a tearful exit from the Memorial Tournament while leading by six strokes.

Bryson DeChambeau, who also missed the Olympics due to Covid-19, grabbed the headlines for his feud with Brooks Koepka before the pair buried the hatchet to help the United States seal a 19-9 Ryder Cup win over Europe.