MISSOURI – Tiger Woods took his first public golf shots in over two months during an event to announce his first public course on Tuesday, but the former World No 1 remained non-committal about his return to competitive action.
Woods, who has not played a tournament since pulling out of a European Tour event in February because of back spasms, took two swings into a par-three hole in front of a crowd that were on hand for his course design announcement in Missouri.
The 14-time major champion’s first shot off a makeshift tee bounced off some rocks that will front the green on the still-to-be built course, while his second landed about 10 feet from the hole.
“The back is progressing,” said Woods. “I have good days and bad days. I’ve had three back operations, and that’s just kind of the nature of the business unfortunately. That’s all I can say.”
Woods, 41, returned to the PGA Tour in January after a 17-month absence following back surgery. He missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open, and shot an opening-round 77 a week later in Dubai before withdrawing.
TGR Design & I are excited to partner with Johnny Morris on our first public golf course @BigCedarLodge. https://t.co/9rURWnUnKw
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) April 18, 2017
His course, which is scheduled to open in 2019, will honour late Missouri native and three-times major champion Payne Stewart and be called Payne’s Valley.