Tiger Woods walked for four rounds at the Hero World Challenge.
And he left with no scars and an air of positivity as he finished level-par in the Bahamas.
He might’ve been 18th of 20 players, but this was a field stacked with quality and form.
“I’m curious just like you guys what this is going to look like,” Wood said. after the final round. “I haven’t done it in a while, I haven’t done it with my ankle the way it is now and I was excited each and every day to kind of get through it and kind of start piecing rounds together again.
“I haven’t done this in a long time so it was fun to feel that again. Every day I got faster into the round. The first day took me a while to get a handle on it, second day was faster, today was right away.”
After revealing his intention to play once a month before this tournament, Woods maintained his desire to play regularly:
“And that’s eventually, when I play on a regular basis, that’s normally how it is. It takes me usually during warmup before I get a feel for the round. To be honest, that first day took me a while.”
The 47-year-old managed a tie for 45th at the Genesis Invitational in 2023 but withdrew from the wet and windy Masters during the third round.
Playing up to once a month on the PGA Tour during the regular season is quite the target, and quite a statement to make eight months after having further surgery on his ankle.
So where could Woods pitch up in 2024? We take a stab at naming his potential diary commitments:
Also: What’s in Tiger Woods’ bag?
Will Tiger Woods play in 2024?
January 24-27: Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines
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Woods has won seven times on the North Course at Torrey Pines and won the US Open on the South Course in 2008.
This could be the perfect way for the 15-time major champion to start his year at a venue he knows like the back of his hand.
February 15-18: Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club
If you had to bet on one event Woods will compete at in the next 12 months, the Genesis Invitational would be seriously considered.
He hosts the event and he also played there earlier this year.
March 14-17: The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass (Alternative could be Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, March 7-10)
Woods has won The Players Championship twice, most recently in 2013. 2013 was also the year he won his eighth Arnold Palmer Invitational.
If he is fit enough, both of these tournaments are realistic options.
April 11-14: The Masters at Augusta National
The Masters is the Masters. There isn’t much to say. If Woods is fit enough, he will definitely play at Augusta National.
May 16-19: PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club
Woods has only played the PGA Championship once in three years, and he withdrew at Southern Hills in 2022.
Could Valhalla be too much of a challenge for the big cat?
June 13-16: US Open at Pinehurst (Alternative could be Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, June 6-9)
Since 2014, Woods has made one cut at the US Open and he has only competed in America’s national championship four times since then too.
He could head to Muirfield Village instead where Woods has won five times before at the Memorial.
July 18-21: The Open Championship at Royal Troon
Woods missed playing at Royal Troon in 2016, and much like the two majors before this, his appearances have been sparse.
By July, who knows what state Woods could be in. However, the majors must be at the forefront of his attention if he wants to chase down Nicklaus.
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How busy will the Tiger Woods 2024 schedule be? Tell us on X!
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