Tiger Woods to Return at Hero Challenge

It’s been a long time coming but finally, one of golf’s greatest players of all-time will be returning to the course. And yes, we’re talking about exactly who you think.

It was announced on Monday evening that Tiger Woods would be returning to the PGA TOUR to compete in the Hero Challenge at the end of November. Tiger announced the decision on Twitter, joking that he would like to thank the committee of one that granted him an exemption to play in the tournament. That committee of one, of course, is Tiger himself, who has hosted the Hero Challenge for years.

You may recall that this is the exact tournament that Tiger returned to last year after a long layoff and that decision didn’t end up being a wise one, as he was on the shelf for most of this last season. But recently, Tiger has been posting videos of himself preparing to play, including one just two weeks ago where he was driving the ball for the first time in months.

I’d like to thank the committee of 1 for picking myself and Daniel Berger to play in this years #HeroWorldChallenge. https://t.co/z5tn5aARUY

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) October 30, 2017

Following a setback after this event last year, fans are wondering if Woods is rushing his return. But his agent Mark Steinberg sees this appearance as different than last year. “He honestly put no expectations on this surgery and what the future was going to hold,” Steinberg said. “It was a completely different surgery than he had in the past. He honestly was putting no expectations on it, so for him to say he’s ready to play, I don’t think he can compare it to anything else.”

After the injury setback, Tiger also had his personal problems that kept him off the course that we’re all well aware of. He ended up pleading guilty on Friday to reckless driving charges to keep him out of jail and able to compete come November 30th. After that incident, there were several rumors, even from Tiger himself, that retirement could be an option but the soon to be 42-year old has squashed that notion.

Regardless of your feelings on Tiger, it’s hard to argue that having him back on the PGA TOUR would be a bad thing for golf. And as long as he’s going to play, we can only hope that he can recapture the talent that made him a 14-time major champion and the number one golfer in the world.

Cover Image via Instagram