Tiger Woods tees-up in this week’s Hero World Challenge ending a near seven-month absence from the game, and given his long history of personal injury, indicated that any future playing schedule would likely amount to simply one tournament per month.
This week’s 20-player field which now boasts an increased $4.5 million prize fund, will be just Woods’ third event this year and his first since withdrawing due to injury having made the halfway cut at The Masters.
In fact, Woods is teeing-up in what will be just his 15th official World Ranking event since the start of 2019.
And while his return to competition this week in the Bahamas is sure to have most golf fans glued to TV coverage, it’s going to be very limited ‘bigger’ tournament appearances going forward.
“I think that best scenario would be maybe a tournament a month. I think that’s realistic whether that’s — you would have to start with maybe at Genesis and something in March near The Players,” said Woods.
“Again, we have set up right now the biggest events are one per month. It sets itself up for that. Now, I need to get myself ready for all that. I think this week is a big step in that direction.”
Woods has never been a player to contest 30-plus events a year and the most he’s ever played in a year was 24 back in 1998, and then at the peak of his career in the early 2000s he was competing in an average of 21 tournaments a year.
The first of close to 40 questions directed to Woods in the press conference, of course, centered on his health and his golf game.
“My game feels very rusty. I haven’t played in a while however I talked to the (Hero World Challenge) committee and that committee was able to give me a spot this week,” he smiled.
“I’m not concerned about walking 18 holes as I am happy with my ankle, as I am with the hard work I’ve undertaken on my foot, but that’s all gone and it may be the other parts of my body that may be hurt, like my back.
“I must say I am just as curious as all of you about what is going to happen. I haven’t done this for a while.”
It was exactly a year ago that Woods was due to return to competition at the eighth edition of the Hero backed World Challenge, in what was to be a first event since missing the cut at the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews.
Soon after we learned that plantar fasciitis had flared-up in his right foot and Woods attended the Albany media centre limping very noticeably.
Woods and son, Charlie contested the PNC Championship but with Woods allowed, as per the conditions of the event, to use a motorised cart on route to the duo sharing eighth place.
The golf world then waited a further four months till Woods teed-up in his own hosted Genesis Invitational where he did play all four rounds, albeit finishing T45th.
There was much delight seven weeks later when Woods arrived for a 24th Masters since making his debut as an amateur in 1995, and despite making the cut right on the three-over mark, that mood changed to further disappointment when he advised officials he was withdrawing from the weekend rounds.
The five-time Augusta National champion was again limping significantly, later revealing it was due to a “reaggravation of plantar fasciitis” and we subsequently learned that Woods had again gone under the knife to correct “arthritis stemming from ankle problems.”
Woods’ Masters appearance was some seven months ago, but judging by recent social media activity he’s been spotted out cheering-on his son in local and school matches, while the most recent ‘X’ postings suggested that the limp was gone.
So, what a great sight it was, compared to a year ago, when he walked into the media centre in the Bahamas looking considerably more mobile than he had in his last proper public appearance.
And having sat in front of Woods in so many media centres around the world, it came as no surprise to hear his response of what he expects of himself in returning to formal competition.
“Well, I’ve played a lot of holes, but I haven’t, you know, I haven’t — haven’t used a pencil and scorecard. Now you put a pencil to paper and it really counts, it’s a little bit different story,” he said.
“So I’m very curious about that as well.
“I love competing, I love playing. I miss being out here with the guys, I miss the camaraderie and the fraternity-like atmosphere out here and the overall banter.
“But what drives me is I love to compete. There will come a point in time, I haven’t come around to it fully yet, that I won’t be able to win again.
“When that day comes, I’ll walk — well, now I can walk. I won’t say run away, but I’m going to walk away.”
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