At the Hero World Challenge, Tiger Woods comes in third last but is complimentary about his new TaylorMade driver.
Golf analyst Brandel Chamblee reports that earlier this week, Tiger Woods texted several PGA Tour pros straight from the gym at 4 a.m., asking them how they are improving as players.
Woods, who finished 18th out 20 on his competitive return to the PGA Tour at the Hero World Challenge at Albany this week, is understood to have texted his fellow pros in the early hours saying: “I’m in the gym… what are you doing to get better?!”
The 15-time major champion looked in great shape as he made his comeback return following ankle surgery after his WD from The Masters in April.
Woods was seen striding into the locker room ahead of the final round of the Hero World Challenge earlier today in his customary Nike tank top.
He was also sporting a pair of shades, a cap and a rucksack.
“I’ve come a long way” – Tiger Woods
Woods closed out with a 72 to finish the week on level par.
The former World No.1 admitted earlier in the week he can win again on the PGA Tour, and hopefully be able to play once a month.
The signs certainly good for Woods’ official PGA Tour return in 2024 with a number of fantastic drives struck over his four rounds in the Bahamas.
Tiger Woods’ longest drive at the Hero World Challenge was 370 yards!
After carding rounds of 75, 70, 71 and 72, Woods told reporters on Sunday night he was delighted with his performance off the tee with his new TaylorMade Qi10 LS Driver in play for the first time.
The new TaylorMade driver has yet to receive an official launch ahead of the new 2024 PGA Tour season, but we can inform you it’s coming soon.
Woods said of his driving:
“I think the best part of the week is the way I drove it. I drove it on pretty much a string all week. Granted, these fairways are big. I felt like I had my ball speed up, which was nice, and I was hitting the middle of the face the entire week, which is nice. So it’s not like I have to go and try and find something the next few weeks or something going into next year; what I’ve been working on is right there and maybe just tighten up a little bit.”
Woods, who will play alongside his son Charlie Woods at the PNC Championship in two weeks’ time, was then pressed on what he most wants to sort out ahead of the new PGA Tour season.
He replied:
“I would say short game, but every time you come here everybody says the same thing around this place, it’s one of the most difficult golf courses we come to with grain and having to chip the ball up with the holes running away from you. It’s tough. There’s a lot of — Sam and I were talking about it today, you use 3-wood, 4-iron, 5-wood, hybrid. That was kind of — he was talking about using pitching wedge instead of a 60. These are all weird things that we don’t normally see, right? It’s normally just a lob wedge and go hack it out, but this is a different golf course around the greens.”
Woods finished the week at level par in solo 18th in the 20-man field.
“I’ve come a long way,” said Woods.
US Open champion Wyndham Clark completed two strokes behind Woods in nineteenth, with the returning Will Zalatoris completing twentieth on a dull 11-over standard.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler prevailed upon the competition by three strokes Sepp Straka on 20-under standard.
Justin Thomas was solo third on 16-under standard, one stroke in front of Tony Finau and Matt Fitzpatrick on 15-under standard.
While the occasion was again facilitated by Woods and stays perceived by the PGA Visit, the yearly Legend World Test doesn’t consider an authority competition on the PGA Visit.