Woods at peace with the new order
ALBANY (THE BAHAMAS): The new order will take over, that’s the norm, and Tiger Woods is at peace with it. When he came on, a driving distance of 296 yards made him the second-longest hitter on the Tour after John Daly. Now, there are over 50 who cross 300 yards effortlessly.
While there is little regret over the change as “that’s relative”, abstaining from golf hit him in another way. “Beating the brains out” is what top-flight competition brings with it, and the “needling” inside the ropes was missed. The off-the-course effects impacted him more. “Going out together for meals (with fellow players), the fraternity and camaraderie was what I missed more,” said Tiger.
He tees off competitively since August 2015 this week at the Albany Championship Golf Course, and the first sign that he’s ready to compete is the apprehension. “Being nervous is a sign that I want to get back to playing,” he said on the sidelines of the Hero World Challenge, which gets underway from Thursday.
The anxiety to get back hasn’t led him to plunge headlong though. Tiger, who turns 41 next month, is aware that he needs to do a lot more. “At my age I can’t go to the 1st tee and bomb it up. I’m getting there but a lot more need to be done.” The signs are there all the time, he said, pointing to the grey strands in the beard and having to “pull hair from the top (head) and put them on the face”.