Not bad for a 42-year-old with four back surgeries who returned to competition in December at No. 1,199 in the world.
Woods parred on the last hole to shoot a 1-over-par 70; he would up beating pro golfer Billy Horschel, 31, by two strokes, as ESPN noted. This marked Woods's 80th PGA Tour success.
"I just can't believe I pulled this off after the season I've gone through. But as the year progressed, I proved that I could play, and I found a swing and put pieces together, and I knew I could do it again".
The victory capped off a season that started with questions over whether Woods, now 10 years removed from his 14th major title, would even be able to play a full schedule after undergoing spinal fusion surgery in April 2017.
As Woods walked to the 18th green, the gathered crowd mobbed the course behind him, chanting his name in anticipation of the victory. As it stands, Jack Nicklaus' 18 major championship wins, the great landmark of the sport, may not be safe either.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 23: Tiger Woods of the United States celebrates making a par on the 18th green to win the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on September 23, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia.
He said he had loved every minute despite it being "a grind".
How much did Tiger Woods make from Tour Championship win? But the moment finally came on Sunday at the 2018 Tour Championship in Atlanta, and it was truly a sight to behold.
"Just to be able to compete and play again this year, that's a hell of a comeback", he said.
"Sometimes the FedEx Cup rewards guys who win at the very end, but with obviously maybe Bryson (DeChambeau) opening the door at the beginning part of the week, maybe not having his best week, it kind of opened it up for so many guys this week", Rose said. Then, last year, Woods was hit with a DUI charge.
Just four months after reporting he couldn't hit the ball more than 60 yards, Woods rejoined the PGA Tour and made the cut in his first event at Torrey Pines.
Woods' stunning return to form has also seen him return to the Ryder Cup as a player for the first time since 2012.
Woods held a five-shot lead going into the final hour holes, but back-to-back bogeys - including a narrow miss with the water on 15 - threatened to unravel his bid for a first title since the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in August 2013.
In that sense his victory in the Tour Championship came as no surprise, but for anyone who had watched Woods become a shadow of his former self in recent years, surprise - or even amazement - would be a completely understandable reaction.