Golf fans lose it as new video shows Tiger Woods giving viral putting clinic

Golf fans have erupted on social media after a new video of Tiger Woods giving a putting clinic went viral in the build-up to this week’s Hero World Challenge at Albany in The Bahamas.

Woods, 49, is hosting his annual 20-man invitational benefiting the TGR Foundation, though he will not be teeing it up himself. His latest comeback remains on hold as he continues to battle through a string of injuries and surgeries that have limited him to only a handful of appearances since his 2021 car crash.

During his pre-tournament press conference, Woods admitted that he still has no firm timeline for a competitive return — though he couldn’t resist a tongue-in-cheek jab at one reporter who asked about his 2026 schedule.

When quizzed on whether he might mix PGA Tour starts with appearances on the PGA Tour Champions, Woods fired back with trademark sarcasm: "Yeah, I'm probably going to play probably 25 events on both tours and I think that should cover most of the year, right?"

The reality is far more tentative. Woods revealed his recovery “is not going as fast as he would've liked,” having undergone disc replacement surgery in October — just seven months after rupturing his left Achilles.

But there is a glimmer of hope. Woods confirmed he was cleared by his doctor last week to return to light practice, including chipping and putting.

And that’s exactly what fans saw on Wednesday; scroll down to watch...

Tiger's viral putting masterclass

A video posted by Woods’ TGR Live account shows the 15-time major champion delivering an impromptu putting clinic to a small group of golfers. Unsurprisingly, it spread across golf social media within hours.

TGR — Woods’ umbrella brand linking his foundation, charity events, course design ventures and sports bar — rarely shares this kind of intimate, instructional content, making the clip even more of a treat for fans desperate for signs of progress.

In the footage, Woods breaks down his putting philosophy with trademark precision. 

Watch the video below: 

As the video begins, Woods tells the group:

"So just like the golf swing, the body doesn't move first, the putter head moves first. So the putter head must move first, then I believe the weight of the golf ball is what slows the putter down. So I accelerate all the way through, but the weight of the putter head actually slows it down, so it looks like I'm punching it but I'm just putting all the energy into the ball and the ball ends up slowing the putter head down. Some players have a follow through like that (long), but I don't understand that because I've always, if you see a guy hit a punch shot, his swing is going to be shorter on the follow through as opposed to a guy hitting up on it and picking it. It's going to be a longer follow through. Well, it's the same kinda concept. You have the weight of the ball stopping the putter head, then the momentum is going to be slower on the front side. So it looks like I'm punching it, but this weight of the ball is just slowing this mass (putter head) that's all. Because my putter is like that from but from an older generation with a much lighter, smaller grip, my overall mass of putter is much lighter. So it gets affected by the weight of the ball much more than these newer putters with bigger grips, bigger heads, more mass. It's going to go through more than my putter does. Ben Crenshaw's little 8802 putter stops right away as has no mass to it. So the weight of the ball gets really affected. So it looks like I'm doing that but I'm really not."

The glimpse into his putting technique — paired with the simple fact he is back on the green — sent fans into a frenzy, sparking hopes that Woods might be inching closer to a return.

Eyes on the Hero World Challenge

While Woods won’t compete this week, the Hero World Challenge still carries intrigue, with World No.1 Scottie Scheffler attempting to become the first three-time consecutive winner of the event.

Scheffler starts a red-hot 6/4 jolly. 

But for most PGA Tour fans, the biggest storyline remains Tiger himself — walking, talking, teaching and, most importantly, putting again.