Tiger Woods Comments on Return to Play at 2016 Hero World Challenge

Woods makes his latest return to action at Thursday’s Hero World Challenge.

“I am nervous but I am looking forward to it”.

Asked what he would expect to feel Thursday at Albany Golf Club, Woods said, “I’ll let you know then, because I don’t know right now”. If I care, I’m nervous. He admitted to being nervous about his performance, saying, “I’m nervous for every tournament I play in, whether it’s after a layoff, or six in a row, or a major. I care about what I do out there”, he said. “After 15 months of not competing. past year at this time I gave you a different answer because that was the reality of it”. Despite admitting nerves, Woods is positive and says he will look to “channel nervous energy into aggression, focus and concentration”. “I want to be out here so bad”, he added. It’s about controlling it and how fast I can get in the flow. And been adapting to the evolution of the game in the last 15 months. “But, hey, I’m going to give it my best”. Woods hits on a simulator, and is intrigued by the duo’s strapping system concept – created to help keep him secure through his swing and a full day of golf.

“I am leaner than I would like to be”. I had to get some advice and I was just sick and exhausted of taking anti-inflammatory tablets.

“I’m playing again”, he said.

“Hopefully I can get out there and shoot something”.

“If you lose a little bit [in those sports], you’re probably going to be replaced”, he said.

“I’ve talked to Tiger a reasonable amount in the past year or so”, said Nicklaus. The fraternity… of being out here. I was discussing that with “Rosey” and the other guys. “I needed help. It was a tough, tough time”, he recalled Tuesday.

“Once we are inside the ropes, it’s a different story”. Now we are there to compete. But this is a man who has won more than one-quarter of his PGA starts (79 in 313), so his body is likely to give out before his mind. “Beating the brains out” is what top-flight competition brings with it, and the “needling” inside the ropes was missed. From what I had first heard from some of the guys I know who have played with him, he slashed it around.

Woods has not played on the US PGA Tour since Aug 2015, having undergone surgeries in September and October of that year due to ongoing back problems.

It was at this tournament a year ago that Woods offered a bleak assessment of his future, saying that everything he did professionally from that point would be “gravy”.

“He never played golf when he played baseball”, Woods said after going nine holes at Albany Golf Club with the former New York Yankees shortstop. It is what it is. First, it was my son, then the daughter, and then me.

His previous long break from golf was eight months when he had reconstructive surgery on his left knee after winning the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, the last of his 14 major titles. “I’m entered in an event, I’m going to try to win this thing”. So I have not had that athleticism and agility and speed since my early mid 20s…

Do you ever have any question about anything you wish to ask and get answer?

“It has to motivate him that Vijay Singh is lasting until 53, that Ernie is still competitive, that Davis is still competitive, ” Love said. There is no doubt about that. “If I can sneak my way into the top 1,000, that’d be a great goal”.