Tiger Woods is lucky. Extremely lucky. He has a future.

We all know he managed to survive his initial crash in a van, and the golf gods were again with him in his recent second accident debacle.

Woods can’t afford to run the risk of a third strike. It could be a fatal one.

On the eve of the Christian Holy Week, Woods received a reminder that he still has time on this earth and possibly return and lead the game he transcended.

Over the past 25 years, Woods arguably has been the most recognized athlete on the planet. Of course, Nike did their share to make him a household name.

Like many athletes and anyone else in his position, Woods has to put on the brakes and look in the mirror. He is at the proverbial crossroads.

A legendary Philadelphia sportscaster once told me that Sports is a giant candy store where athletes believe everything is sweet.”

Athletes sometimes discover that the sweets can turn sour.

We all get our share of wake-up calls along our own journeys, and we need to react to them. No one is invincible, and we all have to deal with our share of hurdles and roadblocks.

At 50, Woods is a young man who can make a comeback after he comes to grips with his reality.

Woods resurrected a game on life support and quickly became an icon for youth and the average golfer. Golf again began a prominent sport in the media, and Woods was its centerpiece.

His meteoric rise winning 14 majors in 12 years was truly storybook material and unfathomable. He was well on his way to surpassing Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18, and it was just a matter of time.

But like some of our own paths, life got in the way. After he won his 14th major in 2008, Woods needed reconstructive surgery on his left knee to repair the ACL and was sidelined for eight months.

Woods returned to the 2010 Masters, but he didn’t look the same. In 2014, he needed back surgery and missed golf’s prime showcase.

Three more surgeries followed before Woods created another legendary comeback when he became the sports’ story of the year in 2019 by winning his 15th Masters.

Since then, Woods’ world has been a series of uphill battles where golf sometimes can seem to be a distant memory.

America tends to become engulfed with celebrities’ and sports figures’ struggles and tragedies, as they are well splashed over TV and social media. On some level, we all wanted to know what happened to Woods.

Yet, Woods has looked at life beyond golf and has taken some steps forward. In January, he raised $50 million toward his TGR foundation, mainly directed toward his TGR Learning Lab in Atlanta. His son, Charlie, will begin a golf career at Florida State.

Woods did the right thing by turning down the captaincy for the Ryder Cup. Regardless, there will be plenty of chatter and references about him at the upcoming Masters.

It’s time for him to step away to concentrate on making meaningful drives in his life, and not on a golf course.

Our society tends to offer plenty of changes for anyone looking to get back into their element.

Woods will decide whether golf is still in his future, but just creating a future now is more important.

Email Jeff Moeller at tneditor@tnonline.com