Updated at 19.31
GOLF SUPERSTAR Tiger Woods will play the Hero World Challenge he hosts in the Bahamas, his first competitive golf start since the Masters.
The 15-time major champion announced his intention on social media on Saturday.
“Tournament host @TigerWoods to play in the 2023 #Hero WorldChallenge,” a post on Twitter, which is being rebranded as ‘X’ said, adding that Justin Rose and Lucas Glover would round out the 20-man field for the November 30-December 3 event at Albany in the Bahamas.
Woods suffered severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash and was sidelined until the 2022 Masters, where he finished 47th.
He withdrew in the third round of this year’s Masters in April and had ankle surgery later that month to treat arthritis linked to injuries suffered in his 2021 crash.
Woods, who shares the record for PGA Tour victories with Sam Snead at 82, has struggled to walk courses for four rounds since his return from the accident.
He caddied for son Charlie in a 54-hole tournament in November and also put in an appearance before last week’s PGA Tour event in Mexico, the tour’s first event to be played on a course that he designed.
At El Cardonal at Diamonte, Woods was seen walking comfortably down a long staircase and visiting with players, including fellow American Stewart Cink, the 2009 British Open winner who declared Woods was in “go mode” and had returned to practice.
Woods has made just five PGA Tour starts since the California car crash in which he suffered multiple breaks in his right tibia and fibula.
The 47-year-old has made the cut four times but completed 72 holes just twice.
The inactivity has seen his world ranking plummet to a career-worst 1,307th.
In February, Woods completed four rounds at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.
It was his first start in seven months, and Woods reiterated at Riviera that his competitive schedule would remain extremely limited.
At Augusta National in April he acknowledged that he wonders each time he plays the Masters if it will be his last time there, and he was unable to achieve his goal this season of competing in all four majors and perhaps “a couple” of other events.
“It has been tough and will always be tough,” he said at the Masters.
“The ability and endurance of what my leg will do going forward will never be the same. That’s why I can’t prepare and play as many tournaments as I like.
“But that’s my future and I’m OK with that.”
Fair play to Leinster ,and to heaslip , who’s balls I have broken for a while now , he was top shelf lately when they needed him.
Agree totally about Heaslip. I put my hand up as a Heaslip basher too. Eating humble pie now and gladly admit it. But as to turning a corner, stillthink there is a lot of work to be done.
I know every coach has his own style but why in the name of god did O’Connor go in the complete opposite direction to what Schmidt was doing at Leinster. He has turned ye from one of the best ball handling sides in the world to a side that now can’t string 5 passes together without someone dropping it or putting boot to ball. The sooner he goes the better it will be for Leinster and Irish rugby.
From all his soundbites and the evidence of past games, MOC seems to be a guy who tells his players to try Plan A, and if that doesn’t work, to try Plan A harder
Plan b is a fallacy. There’s the gameplan and there’s playing heads up when the opportunity arises. Coming up with one gameplan is hard enough, getting 23 guys on the same page about two gameplans is a waste of time.
I guess so, mate. It depends on the way you look at it. Maybe what I mean is that Leinster are pretty one-dimensional under MOC. Coaches should be able to tweak things at half time. Plus Leinster are lacking technically in a lot of areas, hence my suggestion that MOC just tries to get the players to try the same stuff with more intensity
Leinster were great to watch under Schmidt now they are a bore.
When Schmidt landed he could do no right , look at him now “loike”
That lasted for all of a few weeks though. We’re a season and a bit in and they’ve still only been impressive twice. Northampton away and the Pro12 final. Every time they win there’s the feeling that it was unconvincing and a bit jammy. I don’t get anything like the enjoyment from watching them play that I used to. Still just as big a supporter but there are too many ugly wins.
Your turnip stew is going cold buddy.
Ya not alone I’ve felt like that since kidney left Munster :)