A Look Back at Tiger Woods' 'Tough' Decade Before Earning His 80th Win

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Stan Badz/PGA TOUR

Here is a look back at the what made Sunday’s win so special for the legendary golfer.

02of 11Tiger Woods in 1998.GettyJune 2008: Woods has reconstructive surgery on his left knee, which leads him to takean eight-month hiatusfrom the sport. He does not return until the end of February 2009. Injuries have been a lingering problem for Woods throughout his career (especially to his back) and would play a major part in coming years.

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Tiger Woods in 1998.Getty

June 2008: Woods has reconstructive surgery on his left knee, which leads him to takean eight-month hiatusfrom the sport. He does not return until the end of February 2009. Injuries have been a lingering problem for Woods throughout his career (especially to his back) and would play a major part in coming years.

03of 11Florida Highway Patrol/GettyNovember 2009: Woods crashes his Cadillac Escalade just after 2 a.m. outside of his Florida home, sparkingspeculationthat he was having an affair after his then-wife,Elin Nordegren,uses two golf clubs to shatter a window. Shortly after, Woods' many infidelities come to light, and he enters a rehab for in-patient therapy dealing with sex addiction. It is the first time Woods has been at the center of a highly publicized scandal.

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Florida Highway Patrol/Getty

November 2009: Woods crashes his Cadillac Escalade just after 2 a.m. outside of his Florida home, sparkingspeculationthat he was having an affair after his then-wife,Elin Nordegren,uses two golf clubs to shatter a window. Shortly after, Woods' many infidelities come to light, and he enters a rehab for in-patient therapy dealing with sex addiction. It is the first time Woods has been at the center of a highly publicized scandal.

04of 11David Cannon/Getty ImagesAugust 2010: Woods and Nordegren finalize theirdivorce.

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David Cannon/Getty Images

August 2010: Woods and Nordegren finalize theirdivorce.

05of 11Rob Carr/GettyMarch 2012: Woods earns his first victory following the sex scandal.

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Rob Carr/Getty

March 2012: Woods earns his first victory following the sex scandal.

06of 11Ethan Miller/GettyMarch 2013: Woods and champion skierLindsey Vonnofficially announce they are a couple.

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Ethan Miller/Getty

March 2013: Woods and champion skierLindsey Vonnofficially announce they are a couple.

07of 11Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic; Christian Petersen/GettyMay 2015: Vonn and Woods endtheir relationship. “I will always cherish the memories that we’ve created together. Unfortunately, we both lead incredibly hectic lives that force us to spend a majority of our time apart,” Vonn said at the time.

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Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic; Christian Petersen/Getty

May 2015: Vonn and Woods endtheir relationship. “I will always cherish the memories that we’ve created together. Unfortunately, we both lead incredibly hectic lives that force us to spend a majority of our time apart,” Vonn said at the time.

08of 11Ross Kinnaird/Getty ImagesApril 2017: Woods has back surgery to relieve pain in his back and leg. It is his fourth surgery to his back in five years.

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Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

April 2017: Woods has back surgery to relieve pain in his back and leg. It is his fourth surgery to his back in five years.

09of 11Palm Beach County Sheriff’s OfficeMay 2017: Woods was found asleep at the wheel of his Mercedes near his mansion in Jupiter, Florida. He failed a sobriety test (though no alcohol was found in his system) and would later plead guilty to reckless driving.

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Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

May 2017: Woods was found asleep at the wheel of his Mercedes near his mansion in Jupiter, Florida. He failed a sobriety test (though no alcohol was found in his system) and would later plead guilty to reckless driving.

10of 11Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR/GettyAugust 2018: Woods puts on a tremendous showing at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club. Though he doesn’t win, it is his best performance in years and a bright spot for fans to hold on to.

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Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR/Getty

August 2018: Woods puts on a tremendous showing at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club. Though he doesn’t win, it is his best performance in years and a bright spot for fans to hold on to.

11of 11Tim Bradbury/Getty ImagesSeptember 2018: Woods wins the Tour Championship, ending a five-year drought and giving everyone a reason to cheer for his comeback.

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Tim Bradbury/Getty Images

September 2018: Woods wins the Tour Championship, ending a five-year drought and giving everyone a reason to cheer for his comeback.

source: people.com