(CNN) -- Nearly two-and-a-half years after losing the title, Tiger Woods reclaimed the world No. 1 golf ranking when winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament on Monday.
The defending champion knew that only victory at Bay Hill would enable him to topple Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy.
With thunder storms having pushed the final round of play in Florida into Monday, the 37-year-old defended the three-shot lead he held at the start of the day to finish 13 under par -- two ahead of second-placed Justin Rose.
Read: Tiger on the prowl for No. 1 spot
"It has been a by-product of hard work, patience and getting back to winning golf tournaments," Woods said of regaining the coveted top spot.
As he tapped into the eighteenth, Woods became only the second golfer in history to win eight PGA titles at the same event -- joining the legendary Sam Snead, who achieved his tally at the Greater Greensboro Open (now called the Wyndham Championship).
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German Martin Kaymer milks the moment as his putt on the 18th green ensures Europe will retain the Ryder Cup. His defeat of Steve Stricker capped an improbable comeback, as the Europeans triumphed 14½-13½ despite trailing 10-4 at one stage on Saturday. Justin Rose punches the air as he caps an unlikely comeback of his own, defeating Phil Mickelson on the 18th green after being one down with two to play. The American described his loss as one of the turning points of the 2012 Ryder Cup. Europe's victory echoed the 1999 Ryder Cup, where the U.S. also came from 10-6 down to win 14½ - 13½. The 'Battle of Brookline' was bathed in controversy as U.S. players stormed the 17th green in celebration at s crucial Justin Leonard putt. Golfing etiquette had been broken as Leonard's opponent, Jose Maria Olazabal, could still have squared their match. Jean Van de Velde (middle) looks bewildered as he reflects on his defeat in the 1999 British Open. The Frenchman blew a three-shot lead on the final hole, so forcing a play-off with Justin Leonard (right) and Scotland's Paul Lawrie (left) which the latter won to seal his first major, despite trailing Van de Velde by an enormous 10 strokes before the final round took place. Liverpool players celebrate with goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek (in black) after the English side completed their remarkable comeback against Italians AC Milan in the 2005 European Champions League final. Trailing 3-0 at half time, Liverpool scored three goals in six second half minutes in Istanbul to force extra time and a penalty shoot-out, which they won 3-2. Players and fans of Manchester City celebrate after winning their first English title since 1968. City trailed Queens Park Rangers 2-1 but scored two stoppage time goals to win 3-2 - and so deny city rivals Manchester United the title. The success echoed United's 1999 Champions League triumph in Barcelona, where they beat Bayern Munich 2-1 despite trailing after 90 minutes. Having won the last four gold medals, the Soviet Union were hot favourites to win ice hockey gold at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Few expected Team USA - made up of amateur and college players - to stop them but they defied the odds to beat the Soviets 4-3 in a semifinal which became known as 'The Miracle on Ice.' They went on to win gold against Finland in the final. Despite being two sets and 5-1 down in his semifinal, Frenchman Henri Cochet managed to win the 1927 Wimbledon title. He stunned the world No. 1, American Bill TiIden, in the semis before repeating his escapology act in the final, trailing by two sets once more and surviving six match points before rallying to win in five sets for a third successive game. It is the one-day cricket international that may never be equalled. Set a world record score of 435 to win in their allotted 50 overs, Graeme Smith's South Africa beat Australia in Johannesburg after racking up 438 runs, with just one wicket and one ball to spare. It is baseball's greatest fairytale comeback. In August 2001, the Seattle Mariners were on their way to equalling the major league record of 116 victories in a season. They led the lowly Cleveland Indians 14-2 at the halfway stage and though the Indians rallied they still needed five full runs with only one out remaining - and got them to win 15-14 in the 11th innings, with Kenny Lofton grabbing the crucial score. Mission Improbable Rose in bloom Battle of Brookline Lawrie load of glory Turkish delight Blue Moon The Icemen cometh Comeback King 'The 438' Mariners run adrift HIDE CAPTION << < 
Justin Rose punches the air as he caps an unlikely comeback of his own, defeating Phil Mickelson on the 18th green after being one down with two to play. The American described his loss as one of the turning points of the 2012 Ryder Cup. 
Europe's victory echoed the 1999 Ryder Cup, where the U.S. also came from 10-6 down to win 14½ - 13½. The 'Battle of Brookline' was bathed in controversy as U.S. players stormed the 17th green in celebration at s crucial Justin Leonard putt. Golfing etiquette had been broken as Leonard's opponent, Jose Maria Olazabal, could still have squared their match. 
Jean Van de Velde (middle) looks bewildered as he reflects on his defeat in the 1999 British Open. The Frenchman blew a three-shot lead on the final hole, so forcing a play-off with Justin Leonard (right) and Scotland's Paul Lawrie (left) which the latter won to seal his first major, despite trailing Van de Velde by an enormous 10 strokes before the final round took place. 
Liverpool players celebrate with goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek (in black) after the English side completed their remarkable comeback against Italians AC Milan in the 2005 European Champions League final. Trailing 3-0 at half time, Liverpool scored three goals in six second half minutes in Istanbul to force extra time and a penalty shoot-out, which they won 3-2. 
Players and fans of Manchester City celebrate after winning their first English title since 1968. City trailed Queens Park Rangers 2-1 but scored two stoppage time goals to win 3-2 - and so deny city rivals Manchester United the title. The success echoed United's 1999 Champions League triumph in Barcelona, where they beat Bayern Munich 2-1 despite trailing after 90 minutes. 
Having won the last four gold medals, the Soviet Union were hot favourites to win ice hockey gold at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Few expected Team USA - made up of amateur and college players - to stop them but they defied the odds to beat the Soviets 4-3 in a semifinal which became known as 'The Miracle on Ice.' They went on to win gold against Finland in the final. 
Despite being two sets and 5-1 down in his semifinal, Frenchman Henri Cochet managed to win the 1927 Wimbledon title. He stunned the world No. 1, American Bill TiIden, in the semis before repeating his escapology act in the final, trailing by two sets once more and surviving six match points before rallying to win in five sets for a third successive game. 
It is the one-day cricket international that may never be equalled. Set a world record score of 435 to win in their allotted 50 overs, Graeme Smith's South Africa beat Australia in Johannesburg after racking up 438 runs, with just one wicket and one ball to spare. 
It is baseball's greatest fairytale comeback. In August 2001, the Seattle Mariners were on their way to equalling the major league record of 116 victories in a season. They led the lowly Cleveland Indians 14-2 at the halfway stage and though the Indians rallied they still needed five full runs with only one out remaining - and got them to win 15-14 in the 11th innings, with Kenny Lofton grabbing the crucial score. Mission Improbable Rose in bloom Battle of Brookline Lawrie load of glory Turkish delight Blue Moon The Icemen cometh Comeback King 'The 438' Mariners run adrift HIDE CAPTION << < 
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The greatest sporting comebacks 
Tiger on a tear at Palmer Invitational 
Obama tees off with Tiger Woods 
Exclusive: Tiger and Rory's 'bromance' "I play well here -- and that's as simple as it gets," Woods replied when asked the secret of his success at Bay Hill.
While Snead needed 27 years to mark up those victories, Woods took just 13 -- nearly half the time -- to achieve the feat, having also managed to win three other tournaments on seven different occasions.
The American's form suggests he will be the man to beat at next month's Masters at Augusta, the first major of the year -- with many pundits awaiting his first major since 2008 to consider his comeback complete.
"That's up to them -- that's their opinion," said a relaxed Woods after his success. "I am very pleased with the way I am playing -- and that's enough for me."
The title, on one of his favorite courses, formally caps his return to the summit of golf -- which he spectacularly fell off when reports of numerous marital infidelities emerged in late 2009, whereupon he took an indefinite break from the sport.
The following August, his divorce from his Swedish wife of six years, former model Elin Nordegren, who is the mother of his two children, was finalized.
In October 2010, six months after returning to golf with such poor form that he failed to win a single event in a season for the first time since turning professional, Woods lost his world best crown to Englishman Lee Westwood -- ending a record run of 281 consecutive weeks at the top (which started in June 2005).
A combination of further poor form, added to injury, meant that a man who had once seemed invincible on the golf course dropped to a barely credible 58th place in November 2011.
Read: Vonn revelation 'thwarted stalkerazzi'
But 29 months after losing his crown, Woods is back on top for the eleventh time in his career -- capping a fine month for both his game and private life, with the golfer having announced his relationship to skier Lindsey Vonn last week.
He will now start to add to the record 623 weeks he has spent on top of the golfing world, a tally which is nearly double that of his nearest rival, with Australian Greg Norman racking up 331 weeks, while no other player has broken the 100-week barrier.
The 2013 season may be in its infancy but the 14-time major winner has started in irrepressible form, winning three of his five tournaments -- after triumphing at Doral earlier this month and at Torrey Pines in January.
His 77th PGA Tour victory also marked his 99th professional tournament win as Woods, who has won the Masters on four occasions, prepares his bid to wear the famous green jacket for the first time since 2005.
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