The importance of having Tiger Woods inside the ropes

Tiger Woods in action.

As Tiger Woods returns to the battlefield once again, his battered body and his ability to put mind over matter will be tested at the Hero World Challenge.

It’s a gentle start for the 47-year-old on a venue ideally suited for a comeback – Albany is a wide-open golf course with a terrain as flat as a pancake. What he shoots will be inconsequential compared to how his fused subtalar reacts following the 72 holes.

On Wednesday, Woods played nine holes of the ProAm and did not show any outward signs of discomfort. There was no visible limp, except on a couple of occasions when he had to walk downhill from the tees and he seemed a little wary climbing up mounds.

Because a golf swing requires so many moving parts, a fusion of two adjacent bones – the talus and calcaneus in his case – in as crucial a place as the right ankle is bound to hinder proper movement. It would have sent Woods back to the drawing board and reconstruct his swing to allow for that immobility.

The 15-time major champion looked good with his ball striking. His short game was sharp. And in his own inimitable fashion, Woods said he was back only because he thought he had a chance to win. As fantastical it sounds at the start of the week, it is not beyond the realms of possibility.

The good thing is, unlike his last attempt following the car accident in Los Angeles in February 2021, Woods seems to be optimistic of a heavier work schedule this time. He is already talking of playing at least one tournament each month in 2024, starting from the Genesis Invitational in Riviera Country Club (February 15-18).

The romantics among us would love to see a repeat of his 2019 Masters heroics as early as possible. But the pragmatic view would be a long grind towards possible success.

Which brings us to the question – should we really care whether Woods is competing or not? His place in history is cemented. Does modern golf need a struggling Woods?

The fact remains, he has impacted multiple generations with his exploits, and his appeal remains global. Just to watch him play is a privilege. And there is no doubt that he still moves the needle. The TV ratings for this year’s Hero World Challenge, compared to last year’s, will be a good indicator.

The fans would love to see him compete, and so do the players. Woods inside the ropes is as important to them as on the sidelines, where he recently joined the PGA Tour board as a player director and is said to be ‘very actively’ involved in the negotiations towards the Framework Agreement with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).

American Scottie Scheffler is currently the world No1 and one of almost every professional golfer who would love to see Woods continue to compete.

“It’s just a lot of fun for me to see him out here. I love looking down the range and seeing him hit balls and hearing that sound. He’s still got the same sound, which is amazing. I feel rusty coming off two months without a tournament. He goes almost a year off and he comes back and makes cuts in majors. It’s really hard to comprehend that until you do it out here,” said Scheffler, the 2021 Masters champion.

“To make a cut in a major, you’ve got to be on your game. I cannot imagine taking a year off and going to try to make the cut at the Masters. Getting back into competitive golf is something you can’t really simulate at home, it’s so much different. For him to be able to do it repeatedly is miraculous.

“For us players, especially myself as someone who hasn’t competed against him too much, it’s definitely great just to see him out here playing. I think it’s great for the game of golf. Tiger’s probably not going to tee it up if he doesn’t feel like he can win. With his mental attitude, I’m sure he feels like he can win no matter how he’s playing.

“We’re greatly appreciative of the stuff he’s doing for all the players off the golf course, but it’s even more exciting to see him inside the ropes competing again.”

On Thursday, at 23:22 India time, Woods will start the first round of Hero World Challenge paired with Justin Thomas.

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