(Photo by Stan Badz)
By Alex Myers
Tiger Woods will officially return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge on Nov. 30, but this has been a comeback months in the making. We’ve documented all the key developments along the way and will continue to update this post with the latest news and talk surrounding Tiger’s comeback as it happens.
TIGER WOODS COMEBACK: A stats-related countdown
Nov. 17: Brandel Chamblee pours some cold water on Woods’ impending comeback when asked if the 14-time major champ can hang with today’s stars. “No is the short answer,” Chamblee told Golf.com. “If you do an internet search of the greatest sports comebacks from injury, you’ll get a litany of injuries. The one thing you will not get is a bad back followed by great athletic achievement.”
Nov. 14: Rickie Fowler says Tiger has been hitting it “way by” him in practice rounds at Medalist Golf Club. If Tiger was hoping to temper expectations for his return, this didn’t help.
Oct. 30: Woods announces he’ll make his return at the Hero World Challenge Nov. 30-Dec. 3. It marks the second consecutive year he’s come back from a long layoff at the event he hosts. It’s also a remarkable turnaround from the pessimistic comments he made just about a month earlier at the Presidents Cup.
Oct. 25: Observers, including Ian Baker-Finch, give positive reviews after seeing Woods practice. “His swing was smooth,” Baker-Finch told GolfDigest.com via phone. “He looked normal.”
Oct. 23: Woods posts a slow-mo video of him hitting his patented “stinger.”
Return of the Stinger. #starwars pic.twitter.com/R7srIDGXjl
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) October 23, 2017
A comeback seems imminent at this point.
Oct. 15: Woods posts a video of him hitting driver on a Sunday. Wearing a red golf shirt. Needless to say, people got excited:
Making Progress pic.twitter.com/I3MZhJ74kI
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) October 15, 2017
Oct. 10: Woods hits more shots at a golf clinic he hosted in Las Vegas with Kevin Chappell. A video captured by someone in attendance shows some pretty decent clubhead swing — and a vintage Tiger club twirl.
Great clinic by Tiger Woods and Kevin Chappel today . pic.twitter.com/sLIQIwzkL8
— Kevin Roman (@kevinromangolf) October 10, 2017
Oct. 7: Woods posts a video with the caption “Smooth iron shots”.
Smooth iron shots pic.twitter.com/v9XLROZnfW
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) October 7, 2017
And just like that, the comeback is back on.
Sept. 27: At a pre-Presidents Cup press conference, Woods, one of Team USA’s assistant captains at the event, hints his comeback isn’t as on track as people have been speculating. When asked if he could see a scenario in which he never returns to competitive golf, Woods replies, “Definitely.”
Aug. 31: Woods posts this slo-mo video of him hitting a pitch shot.
Dr. gave me the ok to start pitching pic.twitter.com/tboq1L3Xdn
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) August 31, 2017
The Tiger Woods comeback clock officially starts.
Aug. 4: Woods posts a photo of him diving for lobster in the Bahamas, an indication his back is feeling better.
Nothing like free diving with the kids for lobster at Albany. pic.twitter.com/QgdvrMYnPX
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) August 4, 2017
May 29: Woods is arrested for DUI early in the morning on Memorial Day. It’s the start of a different type of “process” than the one he usually talks about as Woods eventually gets professional help for managing pain medications and winds up pleading guilty to reckless driving.
April 20: Woods announces he’s undergone a fourth back surgery, this time, getting a fusion operation for the first time. “The surgery went well, and I’m optimistic this will relieve my back spasms and pain,” Woods said in a statement on his website. “When healed, I look forward to getting back to a normal life, playing with my kids, competing in professional golf and living without the pain I have been battling so long.”