Once again Tiger Woods is back in action: The big cat will take part in his tournament in the Bahamas, the Hero World Challenge, tomorrow. After eight months of inactivity and ankle surgery, the golfer with 82 career titles is optimistic about the 2024 season.
“The best scenario would be to play one tournament a month,” he said in his usual 30-minute press conference Tuesday morning. I think it’s realistic to start the sequence with the Genesis invitation.
This tournament in the Californian Riviera in mid-February is also directly related to him.
“After that, I will play around the players in March,” he continued outlining his calendar, without confirming his presence in Ponte Vedra from March 14th to 17th.
“We have selected the biggest tournaments of each month. Now I have to prepare for this schedule. This week will be a big step in that direction.”
It all depends on his health on Sunday evening. This tournament is something of a proving ground. If all goes well, he should be in the Grand Slam tournaments and some must-see events.
When it matters
Woods believes his game is still rusty. Even though he has increased his on-court training hours in recent weeks, he is unable to evaluate his play in official tournaments.
“Now I have to use a pencil and write the results on a card. That’s what matters, and that’s a whole different story. I’m as excited as anyone to see what happens this weekend.”
The person who will blow out 48 candles at the end of December will be part of the field of 20 golfers from the Albany Golf Club in the Archipelago. This tournament has no axe. So he is guaranteed to play 72 holes.
One thing is certain: he no longer feels the pain in his ankle that forced him to retire in the third round of the Masters tournament. Remember, he had difficulty walking in the pouring April rain in Augusta.
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“I’m not worried about running track because I don’t have all that hardware in my foot anymore. It’s more the rest of my body, my knee that hurts and my back. The power goes somewhere else. That’s why I’m excited to see how my body reacts during competition.”
But as usual, Woods didn’t wave the white flag. He still believes he is capable of winning. Although he loves his sport, he has also missed the camaraderie since the spring. He says he will put away his sticks when he feels he is no longer able to lift a trophy.
The deadline is approaching
In addition to all of his duties and challenges off the fairway, Woods is also heavily involved in the PGA Tour Players’ Executive Committee. He joined last August, almost two months after that famous agreement in principle in which the American circuit buried the hatchet with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), which fully finances LIV Golf.
The athlete who had shaped his sport then wanted to be part of the discussions that led to decisions on controversial issues. It is worth remembering that the deadline for the agreement reached in June is fast approaching. The date is December 31st.
Although negotiations would continue “without hostilities,” the future was “bleak,” he said. With several options on the table for the players, he does not rule out an agreement before the new year or the possibility of a postponement of the deadline.
“We have options and different pieces we need to move, whether it’s for the PGA Tour, the merger with LIV or team golf. “There are several options we are looking at,” he said, while other sources of funding are on the table. We want the best solution for all parties and players.”
Woods reiterated his confidence in PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, who has been heavily criticized since this summer. However, he said he was frustrated by the lack of information at the time of the agreement with the PIF in June, but also by the slowness of ongoing negotiations.