Tiger lines up busy comeback schedule starting with HWC

By Rahul Banerji

Over the next three-odd weeks, Tiger Woods is lined to play seven competitive rounds of golf after his last tournament appearance at The Open in St Andrews back in July.

Starting Thursday, Tiger will host — and play in — the Hero World Challenge at Albany in the Bahamas, an event he has run for over two decades now.

The following week, the 15-time major winner is lined up to play The Match, an exhibition event in Florida on December 10 alongside Rory McIlroy against Justin Thomas and Jordan Speith.

Finally, there is the PNC Championship in Orlando open only to past winners of majors or the Players Championship who team up with a family member.

Last year, Tiger and his son Charlie finished runners-up to John Daly and his son, John Daly II by one shot. This time, he will be out to better that performance, and more importantly, have some fun.

In a statement confirming his presence at the event, Tiger said, “We have been looking forward to this week all year.

Special opportunity

“This is such a special opportunity as a dad to get to compete with my son against so many golfing greats and their family members. It is going to be a very special week and I know that Charlie and I will have a blast.”

Tiger last played no golf at all thanks to recurring and growing discomfort with his injuries since his second-round exit at St Andrews, which turned into an emotional farewell to the Old Course.

It was his ninth – and last –tournament round for the year till he tees off on December 1 at Albany on the opening day of the Hero World Challenge.

Woods did manage to go through all four days at Augusta Masters earlier in the year but that took a toll on the leg he almost lost in the February 2021 car crash in California that nearly ended his career.

Career low

Tiger returns to action in the Bahamas with a career-low ranking of 1266.

At Albany, he was a late inclusion along with England’s Tommy Fleetwood and fellow-American Kevin Kisner after an initial list of 17 was named for the limited field, 20-man tournament.

While the World Challenge was first played back in 2000, it has been supported by Hero MotoCorp since 2014, in Orlando for the first edition, and in the Bahamas since.

The World Challenge will run from December 1 to 4 and the field includes past winners Jordan Speith of the US, Spain’s Jon Rahm, Woods himself and defending champion Viktor Hovland of Norway.

Six entrants — Cameron Young, Sungjae Im, Max Homa, Joohyung ‘Tom’ Kim, Shane Lowry and Corey Conners – will make their event debuts on Thursday.

The field (with nationality/world ranking)

Scottie Scheffler (USA, 1), Xander Schauffele (USA, 5), Jon Rahm (Spain, 6), Justin Thomas (USA, 7), Collin Morikawa (USA, 8), Matt Fitzpatrick (England 10), Viktor Hovland (Norway, 11), Sam Burns (USA, 12).

Jordan Speith (USA, 13), Tony Finau (USA, 14), Billy Horschel (USA, 15), Cameron Young (USA, 17), Sungjae Im (South Korea, 18), Max Homa (USA, 20), Joohyung ‘Tom’ Kim (South Korea, 21).

Shane Lowry (Ireland, 23), Corey Connors (Canada, 25), Tiger Woods (USA, tournament host), Kevin Kisner (USA, tournament exemption), and Tommy Fleetwood (England, tournament exemption).

In between the Hero World Challenge and the PNC Championship Tiger will play the made-for-TV exhibition event, making a possible total of seven rounds of competition golf in the space of 18 days.

It will be a good test of where Tiger Woods’ fitness levels have reached since his post-July stint in recovery.

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