With snowstorms lining up to keep Maine beaten down with winter, Sunday offered TV viewers and sports fans sunshine and some real heat.

Tiger Woods battled hole-for-hole with Phil Mickelson for the win at the Ford Championship at Doral and regained the No. 1 ranking in the world.

Not everyone is a golf fan. And even some of those who enjoy playing the game might get bored watching it on television. But Sunday’s round was an existential meeting of two of the sport’s biggest talents.

Mickelson had already won twice on this year’s young tour, a nice follow-up to his Masters win last year. For Woods, who lost his top spot in the world rankings with a disappointing 2004, Doral was his second win of the year.

Woods trailed Mickelson by two strokes at the beginning of the round. The two big hitters traded shots all day. Mickelson wasn’t finished until the 18th, when a 30-foot birdie chip just missed the hole. It was that close, that exciting to watch.

Woods looks to have found the championship form that eluded him for much of last year, which is great news for golf and the casual fans who follow the sport through his exploits. Some of the intimidation factor, however, is gone. Mickelson, a great golfer who finally won his first major event last year, showed no fear, his mental game matching his physical skills. And Vijay Singh, who held the top spot in the world rankings during Woods’ exile, showed his own stamina with a late-afternoon charge.

When Woods dominated the field, golf’s popularity soared. When he faltered, so did some of the interest. But with Woods swinging strong and other players answering the challenge, golf fans have reason to expect a great season with plenty of Sunday showdowns.

Sunday was a day for golf fans to remember, something to hang onto until this latest snow passes.