Tiger Woods to make first competitive start since Masters withdrawal at Hero World Challenge
By Jack Bantock, CNN
(CNN) — Tiger Woods is set for his first competitive appearance in seven months at the Hero World Challenge later this month.
The 47-year-old has not played a tournament since his early withdrawal from The Masters in April but will tee off as tournament host at the unofficial PGA Tour event in Albany, The Bahamas, on November 30, organizers announced Saturday.
Woods underwent ankle surgery in May after enduring “constant” pain across his three rounds at Augusta National the previous month, only his second competitive appearance of 2023.
Started in 2000 and staged as a benefit to Woods’ TGR Foundation, the Hero World Challenge will see the five-time event winner compete as part of a 20-player invitational field featuring many of the game’s top players, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, Max Homa and Matt Fitzpatrick.
American trio Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas are also set to play, with Justin Rose and Lucas Glover making the field as tournament exemptions.
Fifteen-time major winner Woods has prioritized appearances at the four major championships in his sporadic competitive appearances since suffering severe leg injuries in a car crash two years ago but missed the three subsequent flagship events following The Masters as he recovered from May’s surgery.
He has not been totally absent from the course, however, appearing at various points to support – and even caddie for – his son Charlie at various junior tournaments.
Woods was on bag duty for his son as he won his Junior National Golf Championship qualifier in Orlando in September, then took up a supporting role as the 14-year-old helped his Benjamin School boys team clinch the Florida High School state championship earlier this month.
In January, Woods is slated to play in The TGL, a televised indoor golf league staged in partnership with the PGA Tour and created by TMRW Sports, a company he co-founded alongside Rory McIlroy.
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