When are we likely to see Tiger Woods back on the PGA Tour?

Tiger Woods showed that his competitive edge will never fade at the PNC Championship, but when will we see him tee it up again?

Matt Chivers

21 Dec 2021

When are we likely to see Tiger Woods back on the PGA Tour?

The PNC Championship could not have been a more perfect tournament for Tiger Woods to test his physical capabilities.

It was a fun scramble event for major champions and their families but also had enough competitiveness to engage the brain into flight mode.

Woods and his 12-year-old son Charlie came second, two shots behind John Daly and his son John II. It was an exciting weekend at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando.

But it wasn't as if Woods could hide his injuries. He still walked gingerly and cautiously which is not surprising since he revealed to the world that he almost needed his right leg amputated following his February car crash.

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This is why the 15-time major champion needs to pick his appearances meticulously. PGA Tour events aren't 'hit and giggles' like the PNC Championship or the QBE Shootout.

Like most professional athletes, Woods will come back to win, not to compete. He proved this in Florida at the weekend, Woods cannot just participate.

But the location of these recent tournaments could be the most crucial element of all for Woods' career. If he is to go after his 83rd PGA Tour victory, I think it is likely to be close to home.

The 45-year-old is based in Florida and as Olympic Osteopath Poora Singh correctly pointed out to GolfMagic, playing golf is not the only thing you do at PGA Tour events.

You travel, you prepare, you sleep, you eat, you practise. Particularly with travel, jetlag and fatigue can cause issues to the best of athletes, let alone ones who have gone through life-changing surgery on more than one occasion.

I believe that the Honda Classic or the Arnold Palmer Invitational could be two do-able events for Woods. They are both based in Florida in February and March respectively.

This would also give him more time to develop during his ongoing rehabilitation. Ironically, Woods has never won the Honda Classic but he has won eight times at Bay Hill.

Woods did travel to the Bahamas for the Hero World Challenge which contradicts my point somewhat, but he only spectated and hit balls on the driving range.

I believe travel is a key factor in preparation and his body wouldn't be able to deal with it. Maybe a trip to TPC Sawgrass in March could be on the cards?

In the Bahamas, Woods admitted he would love to play at The Open Championship at St. Andrews in July 2022, where he has already won two claret jugs.

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For big events abroad, he would need weeks of preparation in my opinion. That doesn't mean The Open isn't a target and it is the only event that Woods has really mentioned since his return to public life.

There should be no rush. At this stage of his career, Woods doesn't owe us fans anything. He will be 46 in nine days time and perhaps he may start to feel his age even more as the days go by.

The glimpses we saw at the PNC Championship were riveting but if Woods is to return at the beginning of 2022, my guess is that it will be close to home.