Tiger Woods clearly drew further strength ahead of his return to golf later this week by playing a nine-hole practice round today alongside to MLB baseball legends on the Hero World Challenge host course at the Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas.
They duo were former New York Yankees baseball legend, Derek Jeter and fellow World Series winning Tino Martinez.
Jeter, 42 is a five-time World Series champion and was instrumental in the Yankees’ success in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He also is the Yankee’s all-time career leader in hits (3,365), doubles (544), games played (2,747) and heads the Yankees’ in four other categories.
Like Woods in golf, Jeter was one of the most marketable baseball players of his era.
Tino Martinez, Tiger Woods and Derek Jeter having playing 9 holes of practice Monday at the Albany GC in the Bahamas.
Martinez, 48 is a four-time World Series champion and played for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Devil Rays from 1990 to 2005.
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.”
