Woods was in the company of his precocious son Charlie -- as his playing partner -- and daughter Sam on the bag(Getty Images via AFP)
“A video depicting Tiger Woods walking without a noticeable limp raises optimism among fans, fueling hopes for his imminent return to the golf course.”
However, the latest update from Woods himself has tempered expectations just a little.
The corners of social media that track pro golf have been abuzz with Tiger fever since hints of his return began to emerge after the Ryder Cup.
Woods made a return to public life of sorts as well, featuring in a video for Pebble Beach in which he delivered the standard tagline for the course.
The more optimistic fans had hoped that Tiger might make his return to the Tour at the event which saw him join the ranks of course architects to design PGA Tour courses at The World Wide Technology Championship.
Woods wouldn’t turn up at El Cardonal golf course as a player but caddying for his son at the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championships.
The 15-time Major winner was pleased that Louisiana’s Koasati Pines at Coushatta is a relatively flat course as he said that he was feeling after three rounds.
“I’m pretty sore after caddying for four days,” Woods told the AP. “It was a flat course, thank God.”
Woods also provided an additional update on his injury situation as he revealed that while the surgery was a success and his ankle is pain-free, his issues are a little more complex than a simple repair job.
“My ankle is fine. Where they fused my ankle, I have absolutely zero issue whatsoever,” Woods said in an interview after his caddying outing.
“That pain is completely gone.
“But all the surrounding areas is where I had all my problems and I still do,” he said. “So, you fix one, others have to become more hypermobile to get around it, and it can lead to some issues.”
Woods could certainly compete in the PNC Challenge (From December 14-17) if he isn’t ready to compete in the Hero World Challenge, which is scheduled for November 30-December 3 in the Bahamas with a star-studded but limited field of 20. Tiger and son Charlie have become fixtures at the Hero World Challenge since making their debut at the event in 2020, when Charlie was 11 years old, and have participated in the Orlando tournament three times. In their first year, they came in seventh, while the year after they were second, and Team Woods tied for eighth place last year.
Woods was also recently announced as the headliner of the ownership group for the sixth and final team in the tech-infused golf league that he helped develop with Rory McIlroy.
The so-called Tech League has received mixed press with some feeling that the series is too gimmicky and won’t grip fans.
However, Woods thinks that he is backing a winner.
“Through its use of technology, TGL is a modern twist of traditional golf and ultimately will make the sport I love more accessible,” Woods said in a statement.
“Having the opportunity to not only compete but also own a team to represent Jupiter is an exciting next chapter for me. I expect Jupiter Links GC to showcase the golf culture of my hometown as we compete against the best players in the world.”
