What Tiger Woods has told friends about his golf comeback on eve of return

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Tiger Woods has opened up on his 2024 plans (Image: (Photo by Oisin Keniry/Getty Images))
Tiger Woods has opened up on his 2024 plans (Image: (Photo by Oisin Keniry/Getty Images))

Tiger Woods has revealed to those close to him that he plans to play in 'five or six' tournaments in 2024, as the 15-time major champion gears up for his return at the Hero World Challenge on Thursday.

This week's comeback will be Woods' first appearance since the Masters in April, where he was forced to withdraw in the third round due to an ankle injury. The American underwent surgery on the issue in the days following, and has been in recovery in the six months that have followed.

Now though Woods is ready for his return, and add a number of other outings to his schedule in 2024. Taylor Zarzour told SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio : "On all accounts, and I've talked to a number of people down in South Florida that have been around Tiger lately.

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"He's not limping as much as he was. He's walking much better. And he's telling people - and he doesn't say much about forecasting for the future - but he's telling people that he thinks he can play five or six tournaments in 2024, that walking isn't going to be as much of a problem as it was over the last couple of years."

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Woods' schedule has been a restricted one in recent years, after suffering career-threatening injuries in a car crash in Los Angeles in February 2021. Since then the American has appeared on the PGA Tour five times, four of those coming at major championships.

His 2022 comeback saw him return to Augusta National for the Masters, where he made the cut before finishing the week in 47th. Weeks later his competed at the PGA Championship, but his week was cut shot after he was forced to withdraw following the end of the third round due to injury.

He then made a fairytale return to St Andrews last July or the 150th Open Championship, but struggled to repeat the form that helped him win two Claret Jugs around the Old Course and missed the cut. That would be that for Woods in 2022, as he was then forced to pull out of last year's Hero World Challenge due to a foot problem.

Two months later he then competed at the Genesis Invitational, making his way to the weekend before finishing in a tie for 45th. This appeared to be perfect prepration for the Masters two months later, but his week in Augusta proved to be a tough one, and his withdrawal came after battling through the torrid Georgia weather in a delayed third round.

Since then the 2019 Masters champion has once again been in recovery which will finally come to and this week. Earlier this month, Woods surprised fans with an update on his fitness, announcing that his ankle issue had recovered but he was still struggling elsewhere.

"My ankle is fine," Woods said. "Where they fused my ankle, I have absolutely zero issue whatsoever. That pain is completely gone. It’s the other areas that have been compensated for. But all the surrounding areas are where I had all my problems and still do."

Joshua Lees

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