Return of the Tiger

THE return of the golf season is just around the corner and what a cracker it is set to be. Six of the world’s top 10 will tee it up at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, but all the focus remains on the world number 25.

Can he regain his form? Will he win another major? Will he be usurped by the new kids on the block?

If Tiger Woods’ pre-tournament press conference was anything to go by then he certainly still thinks he can mix it with the game’s elite. A new media-friendly Woods took questions on his appearance fee, the book ex-coach Hank Haney is due to release and whether he still loves the game like he used to.

But most of all, the 36-year-old was keen to emphasize his new found fitness and returning form that led him to his first victory in over two years at the Chevron World Challenge last month.

Woods claims that this season will be his first pain-free year in over a decade. He said: “It has been quite a few years since I have been physically fit, so I’m looking forward to getting out there and playing and giving it a full season which I haven’t done in a while.”

The American believes his physical recovery was key to his form resurgence towards the end of last year. “I was finally able to get ready for a tournament properly and to do the type of lifting I think I need to do to be ready and hence my game came around.

“Australia was pretty big for me, to go down there for two weeks in that wind and hit the ball as well as I did. I really controlled my golf ball for two weeks and I think that led to what I did at the [Chevron] World Challenge. I hit the ball just as well there and made some putts and consequentially got a win.”

Since that win Woods has maintained his usual off-season routine. He said: “I took two weeks off and didn’t do anything golf wise. After that I started to gradually progress back into the game, from the green back. Putting, chipping, pitching, then eventually irons and ultimately driving. It is what I normally do this time of year.”

Woods has now made the 16 hour trip from his Florida home to the United Arab Emirates to take part in the Abu Dhabi curtain raiser for the first time. “I’m looking forward to it. I’ve heard nothing but positives about the golf course,” said Woods.

“HSBC have been a huge support of my foundation for years and I’ve tried to make it a requisite that I’m playing different places throughout the year, playing new events and this is a new event for me.”

The addition of Woods to the field results in arguably the best culmination of players outside a major. The American will play with world number one Luke Donald and U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy in the opening two rounds, in a field that includes 11 of the world’s top 25.