Tiger Woods adapts to age, toll on body in comeback bid

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Tiger Woods looks toward the 2017 golf season with hope his injury woes are behind him and the second act of his career might have echoes of its sensational start.

Woods completed his comeback event from a career-longest 16- month layoff following back surgery Sunday at the Hero World Challenge, settling for 15th place after playing 72 holes in four-under-par 284 at Albany Golf Club.

The 18- man invitational at the remote Bahamas enclave where Woods is a member is far less of a challenge than regular PGA events will provide, much less majors.

And older Woods is a far different player than the Woods of old, who captured 14 major titles starting with the 1997 Masters and to date ending with the 2008 US Open.

Woods has had to make subtle changes to his swing during his layoff to protect his back, using patterns from his younger days as a guide.

“I looked like the size of a 1- iron and I could hit it and I could really move the ball,” Woods said. “I probably never will be as loose and as Gumbylike ( flexible) when I was that young, but there are other things I can learn from that.”

Woods has to be wary of back issues. Even kicking around a football with his children “is certainly dangerous because you’re not activated.”

“If I’m activated and I can prepare for something, then I’m fine. It’s the unexpected ( that’s dangerous). When you have back issues like most of us do out here, it happens.”