Tiger Woods hints at return to golf

15-time major winner; Tiger Woods has confirmed that he is ready to pick up the club again and would continue to play for as long as he can win. This comeback follows Woods’ absence from the sport since his withdrawal from the Masters in April due to injury. 

The last time we saw Woods was earlier this month when he played caddy for his son Charlie at the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship. He is expected to make his return at the Hero World Challenge this week. 

The golfing legend underwent fusion surgery on his ankle to address post-traumatic arthritis resulting from a car crash in 2021. While Woods mentioned that he has “zero issues” with his repaired ankle, he hinted at other lingering injury concerns. But the former world number one made it known that he would only walk away from the game when he is sure he can no longer win matches. He said: “There will come a time when I can no longer win. When that time comes, I will walk away.”

Woods acknowledged the challenges of his recovery, including a rough initial couple of months and a subsequent six-month period of relative inactivity. He also stated that his game is rusty, and he is looking forward to seeing how well he performs again. 

He assured that he no longer experiences the pain that plagued him during the Masters in Augusta, highlighting the success of the ankle surgery. He further revealed that he has played numerous holes but has not kept score, indicating that he is in the process of rediscovering his form.

The Hero World Challenge, a 20-player invitational event, will feature Woods alongside other top players such as Justin Rose, Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Viktor Hovland. The tournament is scheduled to begin on Thursday in Albany, The Bahamas. Woods expressed his curiosity and excitement about the upcoming competition, emphasising that this event will help shape his schedule for the next golfing season.

Leon Osamor