On this date in 2019 something like a miracle happened.
Once the most dominant golfer ever, Tiger Woods is in what appears to be the twilight of his career. Injuries and scandals have curtailed his irreparable game, and he hasn’t won a major golf tournament since the 2008 US Open.
Then, 11 years after the last big win, Tiger triumphed at the 2019 Masters, beating Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, and Brooks Koepka in one stroke. It was an incredible moment for the 43-year-old, when it looked like he was reliving the skill of his glory years.
Of course, Tiger isn’t the only legendary athlete who has to wait a bit between tournaments. Here are some of the most notable ones in recent memory.
Yes, there was a time when Tom Brady didn’t win a Super Bowl every three years. After his first career of three titles with the New England Patriots, Brady went all out Nine seasons without lifting the Lombardy Cup. He had one of those seasons almost entirely lost to injury, and in two of them he made the Super Bowl, but lost in dramatic fashion to the New York Giants. Brady ended his drought in 2014 against the Seattle Seahawks, and ended up winning three more championships before retiring for good in 2023.
Els is one of only a handful of players to have won majors in three different decades, but it took a while for him to make that third. After winning the 2002 US Open, Els lost the 2004 Masters Championship to Phil Mickelson by one stroke, then finished third at the 2007 PGA Championship. Then, in 2012, he holed up at the Open Championship, bore the last hole to defeat Adam Scott.
Roger Federer (2012, 2017)
Injuries limited Federer after his 2012 Wimbledon victory, and although he made another final at Wimbledon and the US Open in the meantime, it took until 2017 for him to claim another major title, this time at the Australian Open. He also won Wimbledon that year and defended his Australian Open title in 2018.
Derek Jeter (2000, 2009)
Jeter’s New York Yankees won World Series titles in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 in one of the most dominant runs in baseball history. While the Yankees’ 2001 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks didn’t exactly send them into a tailspin, it took until 2009 for Jeter to lead the Bronx Bombers to another World Series title—the last of his career.
Parish was a key member of one of the NBA’s most celebrated dynasties – along with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale, he won three titles with the Boston Celtics. However, it is not over yet. In the final season of his career, he appeared off the bench to help Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman win titles with the Chicago Bulls.
Kobe Bryant (2002, 2009)
The Kobe Shack Los Angeles Lakers were a powerhouse at the start of the new millennium, winning three straight titles from 2000 to 2002 and making the NBA Finals again in 2004. They struggled after O’Neal’s departure, however, and were under . 2004-05 season. Bryant continued to be Kobe Bryant, however, winning two consecutive titles starting in 2009.
Jon Jones (2015, 2018, 2020, 2023)
Jones’ career has always been somewhat of a rollercoaster, to the point where this has actually happened to him twice. He defended his UFC Light Heavyweight title in 2015 for the eighth consecutive time but was stripped of the title after being involved in a hit-and-run. He fought again in 2016 and 2017, but was stripped of the belt in the former and declared a non-compete by the latter due to the use of performance-enhancing drugs. He returned to title form, winning the UFC light heavyweight belt in 2018, but vacated it in 2020 due to a salary dispute and didn’t fight at all for the next three years. However, his comeback in 2023 in the heavyweight division showed that he wasn’t about to miss out on a win, as he defeated Cyril Jean for the heavyweight championship.
Matt Cullen (2006, 2016)
After the 2004-2005 NHL lockout – and a year spent playing in Italy – Cullen joined the Carolina Hurricanes just in time for the 2005-2006 title. He had to wait another 10 seasons for his next title, which he won with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
ESPN stats and info contributed to this story.