MARKING THE TERRITORY — Tiger spotted as his course design stages PGA Tour
‘It’s mine. Yes, it has been altered and there’s some hardware in there, but it’s still mine.’
‘It’s mine. Yes, it has been altered and there’s some hardware in there, but it’s still mine.’
Tiger Woods once again sent golfing world abuzz with anticipation after he was seen at El Cardonal at Diamante in Los Cabos, Mexico.
El Cardonal is Woods' first course design and will stage this week's World Wide Technology Championship.
Still it was a big deal for people wishing to see the legend playing competitive golf once again.
Pictures surfaced of Woods wearing black slacks, a light-peach polo, and a black cap and sitting on the passenger side of a golf cart with PGA pro Michael Block at the Oasis Short Course.
Then he was seen "limping" into the back of a white SUV. That was the third time Woods was seen within the vicinity of a golf course following his ankle surgery last April.
He was also spotted with Rickie Fowler and Will Zalatoris at Liberty National in September, and then at the Hay which Woods helped design at Pebble Beach.
This is the first time a Woods-designed course will host a PGA Tour event.
And either as a player or a host, Woods is expected to be present at the Hero World Challenge 30 November to 3 December.
He is also expected to play with son Charlie in the PNC Championship 14 to 17 December.
Woods suffered a car accident in 2021 which broke his right leg and feet.
Yet a year later, he competed in the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills only to withdraw because a screw on his leg reportedly went through the skin.
Still, he managed to compete in five Tour events after that but only finished 72 holes only twice.
Woods finished 47th at the 2022 Masters at Augusta National, three years after his remarkable triumph there.
Earlier this year, he shot a 67 on the third round of the Genesis Invitational only to settle for a T45 placing.
He made the cut at the Masters this year for a 23rd straight time. But he retired as the weather deteriorated.
"I'm very lucky to have this leg," Woods said in an interview.
"It's mine. Yes, it has been altered and there's some hardware in there, but it's still mine. It has been tough and will always be tough. The ability and endurance of what my leg will do going forward will never be the same. I understand that."
"That's why I can't prepare and play as many tournaments as I like, but that's my future, and that's okay. I'm okay with that."
