TIGER’S FIFTH COMEBACK BEGINS TODAY IN BAHAMAS
Woods eases into competition at Hero World Challenge.
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — One year later, the scene hadn’t changed.
Jordan Spieth paused on the 17th green and looked across the water to the adjacent fairway at Albany Golf Club as Tiger Woods hit his shot to the ninth green, just like he did last year at the Hero World Challenge.
Curiosity is just as high over another return from injury for Woods and how he will fare after a long layoff.
What’s different about the expectations for this comeback — his fifth since he first had back surgery in the spring of 2014 — is they are more about how long Woods will last than what kind of scores he posts.
“He seems more confident this year the way he’s walking and talking,” Spieth said Wednesday in a whis- per, having lost his voice to illness. “He seemed more excited at the Presidents Cup before he was even swinging, more anxious.
“So we’re all very interested, as we should be, in how it goes for him this week — and obviously, hoping that’s the start.”
The start of his latest comeback is today against an 18-man field that features eight of the top nine players in the world. It’s the first time every shot counts for Woods since a 77 in the Dubai Desert Classic on Feb. 3.
That was his seventh rou nd in his return. He withdrew the next day, citing back spasms, and had a fourth back surgery in April to fuse two disks in his lower back. Woods reports some stiffness and not as much range in motion. But he says he has no pain.
The hype about this return has been fueled by friendly rounds the last few weeks.
Justin Thomas, the PGA Tour player of the year who will be paired with Woods today, said fans will be “shocked at how good his game looks.” Rickie Fowler made a casual reference to Woods driving it past him.
Woods had to keep score in his pro-am round Wednesday, and that included a 2 on the 350-yard seventh hole when he drove the green with a breeze at his back and holed a 20-foot putt for eagle.
The tournament is unof- ficial, though it offers world ranking points. Woods is at No. 1,199 in the world, which still seems odd for a guy who spent 683 weeks at No. 1.
What enthuses Woods is playing again.
“It’s been a very long time, and I’m really looking forward to getting out there and playing with Justin and having a good time,” he said.