TIGER’S BACK!
WOODS KNOWS RETURN TO PGA WILL TEST HIS ENDURANCE & BACK
Tiger Woods said he’s sat out long enough.
Thursday, he’ll start making up for lost time. He hopes. Woods, who has played one tournament in 17 months as he recovered from two surgeries to his back in the fall of 2015, makes his return to the PGA Tour on Thursday in the Farmers Insurance Open at his beloved Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego.
It will be the first of four events in five weeks, a schedule that includes a trip to the Middle East for the Dubai Desert Classic the week after the Farmers — a flight involving 12 time zones — then back-to-back playing dates in the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club north of Los Angeles and the Honda Classic in Florida. The heavy assignment will severely test Woods’ game, his endurance and, he knows, his back.
“That is a concern, there’s no doubt about it. But I’m also looking forward to it. I’ve sat out long enough,” said Woods, who finished 15th out of 17 players in the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas the first week of December. He and winner Hideki Matsuyama each made a tournament-leading 24 birdies, but Woods said he made too many little mistakes that needed to be cleaned up. He hasn’t played on the PGA Tour since finishing in a tie for 10th in the Wyndham Championship in August 2015.
“My body is in a pretty good state where I feel I can handle that workload,” he said. “But I still have to go out and do it. … As far as my game is concerned, I’m excited about playing this week. I’m playing well. I just need to get some tournament rounds under my belt.”
Woods, speaking at Riviera
“I’ve played a lot at home, but it’s different than being out here at our level and playing against these guys.” Tiger Woods
on behalf of the Genesis Open, which his foundation, TGR, will manage for the first time, has been playing four to five times a week near his Florida compound and in the Bahamas. His caddie, Joe LaCava, was in Florida working with Woods last weekend.
“I’m excited about getting started on the season,” Woods said. “I’ve missed playing. I’ve missed competing. I’m coming back to one of my favorite venues. I’m looking forward to it. And then to come back to Riviera, it’s setting up to be a pretty special year.”
The winner of 79 PGA Tour titles and 14 majors is No. 663 in the world golf rankings. He will start his latest comeback at Torrey Pines, where he has won eight times — nine if you count a junior event he captured. That total includes the 2008 U.S. Open, his last major championship triumph.
During his heyday, Woods showed up at a tournament expecting to win. These days, his expectations are tempered.
“You keep building, keep progressing and getting used to playing tournament golf again,” he said. “I’ve played a lot at home, but it’s different than being out here at our level and playing against these guys and the flow of playing tournament golf. I’ve been away from it for a long time.
“I need to have my health at a state where I can prepare and get my game ready to play at an elite level. When I feel that way, I know I can shoot scores and win golf tournaments.”
Right now, he feels that way.