WATCH: Tiger Woods smiling ear-to-ear following stunning comeback is a genuinely heartwarming sight

It hasn't been that long since Tiger Woods was king of the world.

Much like a randomer who has never witnessed a right hook land flush knows who Mike Tyson is or someone who can't tell the difference between an ollie and a kickflip is aware of Tony Hawk, those who had never seen a single second of the good walk spoiled knew about Tiger Woods. He was number one in the world rankings, his video game franchise was on top of the sales charts, his already overflowing trophy case was receiving regular additions and fledgling golfers in every corner of the planet were looking up to him hoping they too could one day be just as good as Tiger. A dominant force on the golf course, a superstar off it, but nothing gold can stay. The revelations about his personal life affected the celebrity, the failing body attacked the athlete. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/732543444711788544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw It hasn't been that long since Tiger Woods was down and out. At last year's Hero World Challenge, after enduring a double-surgery on his back, he revealed the depressing state of his physical condition. He admitted he was no longer able to practise or even bring himself to watch golf on TV because of how much his injuries had taken over his life.

"I walk, I just walk. And I am very good at video games. I play a lot of games." "I miss playing soccer with my kids. I can toss the ball but I cannot bend over. I am not athletic. I can't do anything athletic."

As he began settling into middle-age and the prime of his life was shrinking in his rear-view window, he began tumbling down the rankings and pulling out of tournament after tournament until it looked like the era was finally over. It was obvious that we had already seen the best of Woods, but there was something so harrowing about the thought that we may have seen the last of him. Bowing out not because of a choice, but in order to preserve his own body didn't seem like an appropriate end to such a marvelous career. Thankfully, it wasn't. https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/804968166640197634 It has been no time at all since we've seen Tiger Woods smiling. After a 466 day hiatus from the sport, he made a successful return at the Hero World Challenge in 2016. After catching fire in the opening stages of the third round on Saturday with three straight birdies in his first three holes, but eventually the bogeys started to arrive and he finished on 2-under 70 to land in the middle of the pack. Despite not storming back to dominate in his return, the overwhelming positive so far has been how little his back appears to be affecting, and how much he is enjoying himself out there. It wasn't that long ago when little Sam was asking why her Daddy was lying on the ground after he fell to the Earth in a heap practising his swing in their back yard. Now look at him, smiling ear-to-ear, talking about how happy he is to be back. https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/805164812879527936