Ever since last month when Tiger Woods was seen hitting full shots for the first time since undergoing ankle surgery in April, speculation has grown that a comeback may not be far away.
That intensified last week when he was seen at El Cardonal Golf Course in Mexico to mark the first time a course he designed was used on the PGA Tour, which included footage of him walking freely down a flight of steps.
Soon after that, fans were given even more encouragement when he caddied for his son Charlie for three straight days at the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship, and he has now made that a fourth day on the bag at Koasati Pines at Coushatta.
A video posted on X by the tournament's official account showed Charlie confidently tee off on the final day of action before heading down the fairway, with his dad close behind with neither a push cart nor an obvious sign of a limp.
Earlier Today: Charlie Woods tees off on the final day at the NB3 Junior National Golf Championship! #JGNC #NB3JGNC #SeeYouAtCoushatta pic.twitter.com/uNL41yaImpNovember 6, 2023
That’s a stark contrast to the sorry sight of Woods Sr during his most recent competitive outing, the third round of April’s Masters at Augusta National, where he was seen struggling with a pronounced limp before eventually needing to withdraw. Soon after, he went under the knife for a subtalar fusion procedure, from which he has yet to return to competitive action.
While there is still no confirmation of a comeback date for the 15-time Major winner, the sight of him walking so freely while accompanying his son has left plenty of fans optimistic that it’s not too far away. The Fore Play Podcast account also posted the video and the replies to it were almost overwhelmingly encouraging.
One user wrote: “Oh team Woods about to run away with the PNC,” while another responded: “Masters 2024 can’t come soon enough.” Others cited the lack of a push cart as reason for encouragement, with one account writing: “The fact he’s choosing to carry bag instead of the push cart makes me feel so good about that leg. He’s building up!”
Oh Team Woods about to run away with the PNCNovember 6, 2023
Masters 2024 can’t come soon enough.November 6, 2023
The fact he’s choosing to carry bag instead of the push cart makes me feel so good about that leg. He’s building up!November 6, 2023
There are a couple of events that Woods could realistically compete in before the end of the year. The first is one he hosts, the Hero World Challenge, which begins on 30 November and still has one slot available in the 20-player field. The other is one Woods regularly competes in alongside Charlie, December’s PNC Championship, where he would be able to use a cart.
Whether Woods will play in either remains to be seen, but regardless, the footage offers more another positive sign that his recovery from his latest surgery is going according to plan.
