Tiger Woods shows signs of substance in latest comeback

No one’s getting carried away, but there were enough signs of the old Tiger Woods to suggest there might be some substance to his latest comeback.

The bare numbers were a decent start – a three-under 69 to sit three off the lead of England’s Tommy Fleetwood in the first round of the 18-man Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

But it was the manner of the former world No. 1’s first competitive round for 301 days that gave optimism for the future.

Woods appeared pain free in the aftermath of his fourth back procedure in April. A more restricted swing than of old, a combination of fusion surgery on his spine and advancing years – he will be 42 on December 30 – but he swung aggressively without grimacing and was able pick up his ball without being wary of his back.

There were the trademark fist pumps (two) to greet a drained putt, some lengthy drives – often past 24-year-old playing partner Justin Thomas, the world No. 3 – some clutch putts holed in a style reminiscent of his dominant days, and even some cussing, which while unappealing at least suggests the fire is still there.

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‘Fun’

Woods did look rusty with his chipping and made a mess of a couple – he spoke in the build-up about how, contrary to popular belief, his short-game suffered the most as he struggled with his long-term back problem because it was so painful to bend to the ball.

And he was wayward on the five par 5s, an area the former assassin would have plundered heavily, playing them in one over.

But for one round, at least, Woods is back.

“I didn’t know what I could do,” Woods told reporters. “I’ve been playing a lot of holes at home but it’s different when you are in a tournament. I had a lot of adrenaline going and I had to dial it back a bit.

“Those are the internal struggles I haven’t been through in a while. To come out here and score like I did was nice. It was fun to be part of a scorecard again.”

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Tiger Woods clinched his fifth Masters and 15th major title with victory at Augusta in April.

The former world No. 1 had not won the Masters since 2005, and it was his first major win since 2008.

A month after winning the Masters, Woods received the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, from President Donald Trump.

Woods won the season-ending Tour Championship in September 2018. It was his first title in five years following a succession of back injuries.

Signs that Woods was back to his best were obvious at August's PGA Championship, where he finished runner-up to Brooks Koepka. It followed an impressive showing at July's British Open, where he briefly topped the leaderboard.

Woods made an impressive return to competitive golf in 2018 after multiple back surgeries in recent years. He played his first Masters in three years in April 2018.

The four-time champion had back fusion surgery -- his fourth procedure -- in April 2017 and returned to the game pain-free in December. He finished tied 32nd at Augusta.

Woods was touted as one of the favorites after impressing in his early-season events. He also set tongues wagging by playing a practice round with old rival Phil Mickelson, right.

Woods finished tied second at the Valspar Championship in March 2018 and followed it up with a tie for fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. The hype needle moved into overdrive.

Woods set out on his legendary path by becoming the youngest winner of the Masters -- at 21 -- with a record 12-shot win in 1997.

One of his most remarkable feats was winning his first US Open by an unprecedented 15 shots at Pebble Beach, California, in 2000, sparking a streak never seen before or since.

Woods' victory in the 2001 Masters meant he held all four of golf's major titles at the same time, dubbed the "Tiger Slam."

Woods' win rate, his dedication to fitness training and his desire to succeed were changing golf. Prize money rocketed because of Woods. Off the course, he married girlfriend Elin Nordegren in 2004.

Woods showed rare emotion when he broke down in tears on the shoulder of caddie Steve Williams following his win in the 2006 British Open at Hoylake, months after his father and mentor Earl passed away.

Despite being visibly hampered and in pain from a knee injury, Woods won the US Open in breathtaking fashion at Torrey Pines, California, in 2008. It was his 14th major title to leave him only four behind the record of Jack Nicklaus. He was later diagnosed with knee ligament damage and two fractures of his left tibia. He missed the rest of the season after surgery. It is still his last major title.

In December 2009, Woods crashed his car into a fire hydrant outside his home. As the big picture emerged it was discovered Woods had been conducting a series of extra martial affairs. He took three months away from the game to sort out his private life.

In February 2010 Woods addressed the world's media to explain and apologise for his actions. His infidelity led to divorce and was the beginning of a downhill slide in Woods' playing career. By October he lost the world No. 1 ranking, a position he had held for 281 consecutive weeks

Back in the fold, Woods earned his first win in two years at the Chevron World Challenge in December 2011, a charity tournament he hosts that does not count on the PGA Tour money list.

Woods was back in the winner's circle in 2013, lifting five titles, including the Arnold Palmer Invitational, to get back to the top of the rankings.

In March 2013, Woods and Lindsey Vonn announced they were dating on Facebook. In January that year, the champion skier had finalized her divorce from Thomas Vonn, after initializing proceedings in 2011. In May 2015, Woods and Vonn announced their breakup, with the golfer claiming he "hadn't slept" in the days following.

Later in 2013 there were signs all was not well as Woods was seen to be in pain as he picked the ball out of the hole at the Barclays tournament in August. He missed the Masters the following April for the first time since 1994 to undergo back surgery.

Woods pulled out of the Farmers Insurance Open in February 2015, and struggled with injury and form for the rest of the season.

Woods cut a dejected figure at that year's US Open as he struggled with his game and carded rounds of 80 and 76 to miss the cut.

In August 2015 Woods made his last appearance for 15 months to undergo follow-up back surgeries. At one stage during his rehabilitation, Woods spoke of there being "no light at the end of the tunnel" -- and with one eye on his fading career, he suggested "everything beyond this will be gravy."

Woods made a much-anticipated return to golf in December 2016, showing signs of promise with the highest number of birdies in the field -- 24 -- but he also made a number of costly errors to finish third from last in the 18-man event.

He missed the cut in his first event of 2017 in the US and pulled out after the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic in February, citing back spasms. He underwent a fourth back prodecure in April.

The golf legend was arrested Monday, May 29, on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was booked into a local jail in Florida and released a few hours later. He said in a statement he had "an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications."

In August Woods entered a first-offender program and pleaded guilty to reckless driving on October 28. He will avoid jail unless he commits major violations of his probation.

Woods returned to golf after 301 days at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas on November 30 2017. He carded a three-under first-round 69 and appeared pain-free and hungry to resume his career.

Tiger Woods: From highs to lows

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‘Promising progress’

Woods returned from a 16-month layoff following multiple back surgeries at the same event, which benefits his charity, last year.

Then, he finished 15th of 18, but hit the most birdies of anyone in the field to boost hopes of a resumption to a career which has yielded 14 major titles and 79 PGA Tour victories.

But he missed the cut in his comeback PGA Tour event in California in January and withdrew with further back spasms after a 77 in the first round of the Dubai Desert Classic in February.

Since then he has been arrested for driving under the influence, been on a program to manage his pain medication, entered a first-offender program and pleaded guilty to reckless driving.

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It has been another turbulent year for the best player of his generation.

But from the “dark times” when he couldn’t get out of bed, a pain-free under par round of competitive golf, even on a resort course in an invitational event, represents promising progress.