“I love to play, I love to compete. At some point, I know I’m not going to win anymore. If that day comes, I’ll retire,” Tiger Woods said at the Hero World Challenge 2023,
after eight months of injury. “Definitely, I’m here (Hero World Challenge 2023) to compete for the title,” the former world number one emphasized about his goal at Albany.
When the list of golfers participating in the Hero World Challenge 2023 was announced, it was not the 19 elite names that appeared on the list,
but the only missing position that attracted a lot of attention.
Nearly 2 weeks after the announcement of the tournament,
Tiger Woods confirmed that he would return to compete at Albany in the Bahamas, sparking excitement in the world golf community.
Tiger Woods has suffered many injuries in his career. The owner of 15 majors has not picked up a club to compete since The Masters at Augusta National in April. At that time, he had to withdraw from the third round due to a recurrence of plantar fasciitis in his right foot. A few days later, the 47-year-old legend went under the knife to completely treat the ankle injury he suffered in a serious traffic accident that nearly killed him in 2021.
“The feeling of playing “I’m pretty rusty,” Woods said as he was surrounded by reporters. “I’m excited to play. I’m just as curious as all of you to see what happens because I haven’t been on the course for a long time,” the American golfer said.
Regarding his injury, Woods revealed: “I don’t have the pain like I did at Augusta National or my ankle. Other parts of my body hurt a little more because of the heavy load, like my knee or my back. But my ankle is fine, which means the surgery was successful,” the golfer who owns 15 majors said.
Woods’ last appearance on the golf course was in November when he caddied for his son Charlie for 54 holes at the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship. Although he still limped, Woods’ injured right leg “completed its mission” to help him pull the club all the way through four rounds.
“I was pretty sore after being a caddie for four days. But my ankle is fine now. I have no problems. The pain is completely gone,” said the golfer who owns a record 82 PGA Tour Cups.
Woods completed the first round of the Hero World Challenge 2023 today. Although he admitted to having “pain all over his body,” his steps were not limping. The tiger was 1-under after the first 14 holes, had trouble at the par-5 15th with a double bogey, then had two consecutive bogeys at holes 16 and 17.
As a result, Woods finished the first round with a 75 (+3), eight strokes behind the leader and only bettered by two of the 20 golfers participating in the tournament in Albany.
“Physically, I knew I was going to be fine. But mentally, I wasn’t really good. I made a lot of mistakes that I normally don’t make,” Woods said after the first round.
The 75-stroke round may not have been what Woods had hoped for, but it sparked a belief that the 47-year-old golfer is ready to return to compete for titles in the future.
The Hero World Challenge 2023 will take place at Albany, Bahamas, from December 1 to December 4 (Vietnam time). This is a tournament that Tiger Woods has co-founded and organized since 2000, to raise funds for the “Tiger Woods Charitable Foundation”, which specializes in health care, education and social welfare for all American children.
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Source: USA Today
