Former world number 1
Tiger Woods took to Twitter last week to announce he will be making his return to golf at the end of November at his own foundation’s Hero World Challenge. The 41-year-old hasn’t played a professional round since February and in April underwent his fourth back surgery in three years.
Woods will be hoping to put a difficult year behind him. Two weeks ago the 14x major winner pleaded guilty to reckless driving following an arrest earlier this year in which police found him passed out in his car with a number of drugs in his system. At the time Woods posted a message on his Twitter page stating he was “currently receiving professional help to manage my medications and the ways that I deal with back pain and a sleep disorder.”
On Monday details of his plea deal were made public. With his lawyer confirming he had finished 20 hours of community service and a DUI awareness program as well as his time in rehab. Woods will now be subjected to random drug testing at any time over the next year to ensure he’s clean.
With his legal issues settled the TaylorMade player is firmly focused on making his professional comeback. In a statement on his website Woods confirmed he is “excited to return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge.” Adding, “I would also like to thank the fans for their unwavering support during my injury.”
Woods will join an elite field of 18 players including Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Thomas in Albany, Bahamas at the end of this month. While the tournament hosts only players in the world’s Top-50, Woods has received a sponsor exemption. We can’t wait to see how the 41-year-old fares against golfers almost half his age after nine months out! What are your predictions for Tiger’s first tournament back?
