Tiger In The Sun

The injury lay-off that forced him off the course for almost two years might have taken the edge out of his game, but the return of Woods, and his lasting four rounds over the weekend, is the news that the golfing world has been awaiting for a long time.

- V. Krishnaswamy

It was not a new Tiger Woods, but it was certainly a different Woods. A completely different person from the one who played the host a year ago, when pain would be replaced by an occasional smile. This time, he was up and about, smiling and laughing, cracking jokes and taking jibes,signing autographs and posing for pictures.

He also played the entire 72 holes at the Hero World Challenge in Albany, the Bahamas, without a complaint, except how he hadn’t played in a long time and how much he missed it. Last year, when he answered questions about his comeback, it appeared that the best golfer of his generation was almost resigned to walking into the sunset. He had put on some weight and he grimaced more than he smiled. The future looked uncertain. If it was a heavy-hearted “goodbye” last year, this time he was eager to greet his friends and fellow tour-mates with a chirpy “hello”.

But one year is a long time in sports. At the 2016 edition of his signature tournament, he was talking about his golf shots, he was talking about testing new equipment, he was talking about pulling out his old Scotty Cameron putter, talking about his driving and the short game, among other things. In short, he was talking golf. And how much he was looking forward to returning to it. Woods had taken his time, he had chosen the right tournament, he had selected the right course and it was the perfect atmosphere. He announced his comeback and then withdrew from Safeway, setting off some alarm bells, as it were, and once again raising questions about his return.