Nassau, Bahamas …..
Tiger Woods delivered the first strong indication his game is up-to-shape ahead of ending a 15-month injury related absence at this week’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
Woods teamed with Rio Olympic Games gold medal winning Justin Rose, who has been a resident on the exclusive Albany estate for two-and-a-half years, and with both players in shorts for nine holes of this week’s host Albany Club course.
Woods was clearly very relaxed and aside from an errant drive down the left side of the 13th the 14-time Major winner was in play for much of the nine holes in the sunny but windy conditions.
There were no official scores recorded but it’s understood Woods shot a comfortable one over par 37 for the nine holes that included two bogeys and a birdie.
Tiger Woods driving off the 18th during a practice round Monday ahead of this week’s Hero World Challenge. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
Highlight of Woods nine holes was a 350-yard downwind drive at the par four 15th that was easily 40 yards further than Rose, and with Woods having parked his luxurious ocean-going cruisier close to Rose’s palatial abode.
Rose is returning after a seven-week injury absence and as such clearly looked a lot more ‘rusty’ than Woods who will tee-up on Thursday in the 18-man $US 3m event not have competed in 465 days since sharing 10th place in the 2015 Wyndham Championship.
“I was really pleased the way I was striping the ball as I hit it pretty well but then the wind today is expected to come from a different direction on Thursday,” said Woods.
“The greens, and how they’ve set them up at the moment, are a little too quick for this wind and with talk of a storm also coming in on Thursday, they should be perfect.”
It was Woods second nine holes of the Ernie Els designed course having played the front nine on Saturday and spending Sunday working on the range.
But if his golf and his positive demeanour is any sign then Woods could surprise many come Thursday’s start to the event.
And Woods seems to have gained further strength in chatting at length over the nine holes with both Jeter and Martinez, and with Jeter competing in the later stages of his own career with a broken ankle he sustained in October 2012.
“That’s one of the things I was talking to Derek and Tino about and that his how long did it take them at the start of each match to get ready to go out and play in each game,” said Woods.
“We all know Derek broke his ankle and in coming back from that he said it used to take him three to four hours just to get prepare for a game.
“I also was discussing that today with ‘Rosey’ (Justin Rose) and he also says he needs to spend upwards of an hour-an-a-half in the gym before he tees-up each day of a tournament given he’s now 36 years of age.
“It’s been the same deal with me and long before I was out injured for this long period.
“We all agreed we missed the times early in our careers when you could just turn-up, grab your equipment and just out and hit a 300-yard drive using a Balata ball and using a Prosimmon driver.
“I can’t do that anymore as I’m at an age where it takes time to prepare as I’ve had like three knee surgeries and also the operations on my back.”
As reported, Woods has a new golf bag sponsored by Monster Drink, second only to Red Bull in sales, while he’s using a new TaylorMade M2 driver and using a Bridgestone Tour B330S golf ball.
The irons remain Nike and he continues to pack three Nike wedges with ‘TW’ clearly stamped on the rear of the club.
There was the sight after his drive went left into a desert-like waste area at 13 where Woods pulled out a tool to adjust the loft of the driver, and something he is allowed to do but only in practice.
“TaylorMade must have sent me about 50 new models of the M2 driver and a selection of heads, and they tell me they’re bringing a newer model driver shortly,” he said laughing.
“And adjusting the loft of the driver as I did there on 13 is something I’ve never had to do before in my career as with all my Nike drivers I just walked up and hit not thinking of having to adjust the face.
“What the adjusting is doing is turning me into a bit of equipment mechanic with these changes (smiling)”.
