How is this for a World Ranking statistic.
Tiger Woods will jump 250 places on the ranking by just by teeing-up in this week’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
Woods heads into the elite no-cut event ranked 1,199th in the World Rankings and given the strength of the field teeing-up at Albany that is the prediction given the long-time World No. 1 has contested just three tournaments in the last two years and those being last year’s Hero World Challenge and two events earlier this year – the Farmers Insurance Open and just one round of the Dubai Desert Classic.
Tiger Woods teeing off at 18 earlier today. Photo – Thanks to Bob Harig/ESPN
Of course, Woods did not compete at all in 2016.
However, if Woods were to win this week it is predicted he could jump as much as 1,000 places and around 135th on the rankings.
And even if Wood finished 1oth on his own the prediction is he would jump 530 places to inside the leading 700 in the world.
Woods has not been that high on the ranking since dropping to World No. 133 with a tail of the field finish in May 2015 at The Players Championship in Florida.
Tiger Woods practicing his putting ahead of this week’s Hero World Challenge. Photo thanks to Bob Harig/ESPN
Woods ruled the World Rankings for a combined 683 weeks including being No. 1 on 11 different occasions and finally being dethroned by Australia’s Adam Scott on May 18th, 2014.
Woods got his first look at this week’s exclusive host venue in a year when he played a practice round early Sunday morning (local time) in the company of his caddy, Joe La Cava and the club’s Director of Golf, Lemon Gorospe.
Woods is returning to competition this week in clearly what will be the most-watched round of golf on Thursday all year long.
He indicated to ESPNs Bob Harig that the fusion surgery on his back was the most difficult in terms of his golf going forward: “That hurt the most. Putting and chipping were absolutely the worst. That’s a big misconception, that I could work on my short game.”
- Photos Bob Harig with thanks.
