Tiger’s back.

Whether or not you think that’s a good thing is beside my point. I understand why many people don’t like Tiger Woods the person. At times, there hasn’t been much to like.

But Tiger Woods the athlete? How can you not be inspired by his victory at the 2019 Masters?

For me, Tiger at the Masters embodied three of the key messages we’ve been passing along to CPAs for the past few years.

• Lesson No. 1: Embrace new technology. More than perhaps any other sport, golf is defined by technology. Clubs, balls, shoes, apparel — new is better, by a long shot. Especially when you’re a professional golfer of a certain age. All things being equal, none of us can hit the ball as far as we could when we were 21. Embrace the technology that will let us do that.
• Lesson No. 2: Learn new skills. Twenty years ago, Tiger dominated his sport by hitting the ball farther than anyone alive. Golf courses responded by “Tiger-proofing” the land — lengthening the courses, adding obstacles, and basically making it harder for a physical freak like Tiger to dominate. Tiger responded by learning how to be patient. Let the course — and the competition — come to him. Take what the course gives you, and let others make mistakes. When you're 43, that's a new-age formula for victory.
• Lesson No. 3: Take care of yourself. You have but one life to live. You have but one body in which to live it. For god's sake, take care of yourself. You won't succeed as you get older unless your body allows you to. Eat right. Exercise. Listen to your doctors. Get plenty of sleep. Do those things consistently. Your future success starts there.

It's true, and it's scary — we're all getting older, and most of us are probably past our prime.

Turns out, though, that it's not too late to win another Masters. A little future-readiness might just do the trick.