Open Champion Henrik Stenson leads the golf world in praising Tiger Woods return to golf last week in the Bahamas but also cautiously advises the 14-time Major winner needs to get back to playing a full schedule if he’s to again become a force in the game.
After a long 15-month absence, Woods produced rounds of 73, 65, 70 and 76 to share 15th place in the eventual 17-player Hero World Challenge field.
There was plenty of good over the four days from Woods but also evidence much work still needs to be done over the Festive season and in particular with regards his driving.
Stenson ended his best season again finishing runner-up to Japan’s Hideki Matsuyma and as the Swede had done in Shanghai.
And Stenson, who is the same age as Woods, wants to see how Woods handles the first portion of 2017 before making any long-term judgement.
Henrik Stenson advises caution should be shown ahead of Tiger Woods making a full return to tournament golf.
“I am sure there were people saying after Tiger’s second round 65 ‘He’s back, He’s back’ but then we all know how easy it is to swing from one side of the scale to the other in just two rounds of golf,” said Stenson.
“We need to give Tiger at least six tournaments, maybe up to the time of the Masters as four rounds after being away for 15 months is far too early to be judging him.
“The thing is with Tiger he’s won 79 times on the PGA Tour and once he gets his comfort zone, his game and puts himself into contention he will not have forgotten how to win.
“You never forget how to win and that never goes away.
“But in saying that the competitiveness of today’s game is stronger than it was say back at the end of the 90s and early 2000s when he was winning, so much so it’s going to be hard for anyone to dominate including Tiger.
“There are just more players now than win in a given week, and there’s more players now who know they can win out here.”
Double Major winning Jordan Spieth expressed his excitement Woods is back competing.
“Tiger looked confident in his game, it looks like he’s going to be back,” said Spieth.
“That’s really exciting for us and for golf. Tiger created golfers from athletes. I would say even myself. I played a lot of sports because of Tiger and he had the influence on why I wanted to play golf.
“He certainly showed this week he’s up for the task and his game’s ready to go. I don’t know how much time it will take till he gets back into contention but the thing is with Tiger, every time we set expectations, he exceeds them.
“The great thing this past week is the buzz Tiger creates is back.
“And that’s why we got into this game, not to play second but to have a chance to take down the top couple of greatest players to ever play this game.”
And 2015 Open Champion, Zach Johnson had one simple message to those out on tour who have yet to experience what it’s like playing in Woods presence.
“My desire is for some of these young guys to experience for at least one year, at least one, maybe two, of what most of us have experienced for a long time,” he said.
