Day urges Woods to go easy on comeback

Jason Day assured Tiger Woods yesterday that he’s under “no pressure” ahead of his long-awaited comeback at an exclusive invitational tournament next week.

Day, a former world No. 1, said Woods had told him he feels ready for his return at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

The 14-time major champion has not played since February after undergoing surgery following a recurrence of back problems, which forced him to miss the 2015-2016 season.

“There’s no pressure. I think it’s a 17 or 18-man field, there’s no cut, he’s playing at a tournament where last year I think he had the most birdies at,” Day said at the Australian Open in Sydney.

“From what I see on Instagram and what he’s been telling me, he says he’s ready and I’m hoping that he is, because from what I hear, he’s hitting it very long.

Interesting to see

“And if he’s hitting it long and straight, then that’s going to be tough for us because it is Tiger Woods. He’s always been a clutch putter and in among the best and it will be interesting to see.”

Woods is included in an 18-man field, which features many of world golf’s elite, including world No. 1 Dustin Johnson and world No. 2 Jordan Spieth.

“I have no idea where his game’s at because the last time I spent time with him he wasn’t even hitting full swings yet,” Spieth said in Sydney.