Tiger Woods seeks major appearances after comeback in The Bahamas
Last weekend, Tiger Woods made his first PGA Tour appearance since withdrawing from the Masters in April.
Concerns have mounted regarding the future of arguably the best golfer ever. Injuries continue to plague the 15-time major winner, with Woods coming into this tournament off the back of ankle surgery.
Woods hosted the Hero World Challenge in The Bahamas at the Albany course, finishing 18th from a 20-man field on even par. Scottie Scheffler won the tournament with 20-under-par, three shots clear of the nearest competitor, Sepp Straka.
Congratulations to Scottie Scheffler on winning #HeroWorldChallenge. Thank you to @HeroMotoCorp, every TOUR player and fan who helped support this year’s event, benefitting @TGRFound. pic.twitter.com/AAoag2JlUZ
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) December 3, 2023
Competitive as ever
Woods has made a career of raising the bar. An unstoppable force in the early 2000’s, he never knew when to give up. This mindset made him a golfing legend, the mindset he is now trying to impart on younger golfers on the PGA Tour.
On day one of the Hero World Challenge, Woods supposedly sent PGA Tour players text messages at 4 am, saying: ‘I’m in the gym. What are you doing to get better?’
At 47 years old, the hunger and passion still possess Woods, shown by his driving distance, hitting his first tee shot on Thursday 326 yards.
A familiar face
On day one, Woods got paired with world number 27 and good friend Justin Thomas. With 97 PGA Tour wins between them, the pair know how to win.
Woods and Thomas had contrasting opening rounds, with Thomas finishing on two-under-par and Woods three-over-par. It was a far from ideal start for the host, with three bogeys and a double bogey on the back nine.
Troubles at 15
Woods’ double bogey came on the par five 15th hole, a hole which caused him problems all week.
Finding a bush with his second shot, Woods attempted to hack his ball out, resulting in an outcome (and a reaction) all golfers know well, demonstrating how hard golf can be, even for the best.
https://twitter.com/SkySportsGolf/status/1730580102822441233
Thomas also encountered the rough terrain at Albany. On hole six, Thomas’s ball finished in a sandy area among tire tracks. Two officials denied Thomas a drop at the tire tracks, but he still managed to save par. In the press conference after the round, Thomas said he had never seen a decision like it before.
‘I just had never heard that’: Justin Thomas pleads with 2 officials over ruling
After Thursday’s action, the pair had a warm embrace, joking about who needs an ice bath more.
https://twitter.com/SkySportsGolf/status/1730567510288695637
Day two improvement
Things improved for Woods on Friday, finishing on two-under par. His furthest drive was 370 yards, showcasing how the golfing great has still got it.
Birdies on the first, second, sixth and seventh holes saw Woods record four-under par on the front nine, his hottest streak of the weekend.
Woods was rolling back the years, but the shot of the weekend came on day two courtesy of Lucas Glover.
Ranked at 31 in the PGA Tour rankings, Glover made a statement in The Bahamas with an ace on the 17th hole.
https://twitter.com/SkySportsGolf/status/1730690650666910204
This spectacular shot earned Glover a motorbike, a fitting prize for the 44-year-old whose career resurgence sees him accelerating up the world rankings.
Classic Tiger Woods
Woods delivered the quality moments that were expected of him going into the tournament.
One of these moments came from the bunker on Saturday, a wonderfully played shot which showcased the master technician at work.
https://twitter.com/SkySportsGolf/status/1731065258309997039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1731065258309997039%7Ctwgr%5E16e4967536b27beb48ffcb3c0fa242c244f19317%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsportsgazette.co.uk%2F%3Fp%3D50376
Woods scored five-under par on Saturday, his best 18 holes of the weekend. Three birdies from four holes to end the front nine left fans with plenty to be hopeful about.
Classic day four attire
Day four rolled around so we all know what that meant for Woods.
The red shirt was out, and despite being some way off the lead, the iconic final-day attire of Woods still has special connotations.
The evolution of Tiger Woods. pic.twitter.com/Ad5GQae8YJ
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) December 4, 2023
Fans also noticed the physical appearance of Woods on Sunday. No longer limping and in incredible shape, fans are excited to see where this comeback goes should Woods compete at all four majors next year.
Fans joke Tiger Woods looks more ready to suit up for NFL Sunday than his round of golf in the Bahamas as ripped 47-year-old turns up at Hero World Challenge https://t.co/hddUhXA1kx pic.twitter.com/AWDqCen2AA
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) December 3, 2023
The ‘Sunday Red’ seemed to have summoned the tiger in Tiger, draining a 34-foot putt on the fifth hole.
This shot would be Woods’ best of Sunday, finishing the day on even-par. A double bogey on the second hole caused concern, but Woods was steady for the rest of the day.
More to come?
Ultimately, the performance of Tiger Woods wasn’t the main priority of fans, but the physical capacity to compete and his health.
From this perspective, everything looked positive. After the tournament, Woods gave more words of hope in his press conference.
He said: “I think I’ve come a long way.
“From being a little bit rusty to playing four days was great, and just the physicality of actually playing and competing again – I haven’t done this in a while. It was nice to get out here with the guys, have some fun and compete.”
There’s much more to come from Woods, with his next outing scheduled for later this month at the PNC Championship, a 36-hole event where he’ll be playing alongside his son, Charlie.
