NASSAU, Bahamas — The PGA Tour’s regular season may be over, but men’s golf’s silly season is underway, starting with this week’s Hero World Challenge in Albany, Bahamas.
This unofficial event brings together 20 of the Tour’s best players – including perhaps the greatest of all time, Tiger Woods, who will play for the first time in more than seven months.
Tiger Woods remarked, “My game feels bad; I haven’t played in a while,” at a press conference on Tuesday. “My subtalar was fused. I’m excited to compete and play, and I’m eager to see what happens like all of you because I haven’t done that in a while.”
Here are some of the top stories to watch at the Hero World Challenge, including reigning FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland, a two-time champion
The goat is back
Tiger Woods, the tournament host, will participate for the first time since withdrawing from the season-delayed third round of the Masters in April. Tiger Woods played nine holes in the event’s 18-hole pro-am on Wednesday and is not worried about completing 81 holes in five days.
Tiger Woods, who turns 48 next month, said he no longer has pain in his right ankle and foot after undergoing fusion surgery less than eight months ago to treat post-traumatic arthritis caused by a car accident in February 2021. There is no severe pain.
When Tiger Woods was asked Tuesday if he believed he could still win the tournament, he said, “Absolutely.”
“I think we’re all happy to have Tiger Woods back this week,” remarked Justin Thomas. I know he misses hanging out with us, and he’s competitive, he doesn’t enjoy not being able to come out here and compete. It’s great.”
Will Zaratoris said Tiger Woods' latest comeback is surprising him.
“This is ridiculous,” Zalatoris said. “There’s no other way to say it. What he’s doing and what he’s doing with his body, especially coming back and getting another big win after everything he’s done. It’s a great example for me in so many aspects. And that’s shocking to all of us and appreciated.”
Willie Z returns
There are other formidable ball-strikers making a comeback to the Hero World Challenge this week besides Tiger Woods. Zalatoris, who has not competed since the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in March, is in the 20-man field.
After Zalatoris was forced to withdraw from the Masters, he underwent a microdiscectomy on his back on April 8.
“It’s been an interesting seven months,” Zalatoris said. “You know, a golfer’s worst nightmare is having your back blown on the driving range 30 minutes before your tee time at Augusta. But no, it’s been a game of patience. It’s been a tough game. Is.”
Zalatoris’ back problems had been worsening since the 2021 Open Championship. He suffered two herniated discs in August 2022, a week after earning his first PGA Tour win at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis. He missed the FedEx Cup Playoffs, BMW Championship and Tour Championship, as well as the final two stages of the Presidents Cup.
Zalatoris then considered having back surgery, but opted for injections and rehabilitation instead.
“No surgeon wants to go in on a 26-year-old and do back surgery,” Zalatoris said.
Zalatoris came back and finished fourth in singles at The Genesis in February, but struggled last season before calling it quits.
During rehabilitation from the surgery, Zalatoris said he couldn’t pick up his dogs for four or five months. He did rehab six days a week. He started hitting balls a few months ago and was on a strict ball count. He was not allowed to play golf for more than three consecutive days. He no longer sits on a bar stool and does not carry a backpack with him when he travels.
Zalatoris stated, “Take your time. I got a lot of wonderful advise from folks who had gone through the same situation. No one ever comes back from an injury for very long.'”
Zalatoris spent his time at Wake Forest completing a psychology degree. To do this he only had to complete a few courses.
“Taking some summer elective classes when I was 27 and all the other students were 18 or 19 was a lot of fun,” Zalatoris remarked.” “I’m creating a CV for a job application and creating a LinkedIn account, among other things. There were a few of really fun sections.
Zalatoris, who has dropped to 33rd in the Official World Golf Ranking, is not sure what to expect this week.
“You know, playing 72 holes, having everyone here, obviously playing against the best players in the world, even though it’s an unofficial event this week, it’s really cool for me to get 72 holes and see that That’s where I am,” she said.
The mystery of Spieth's wrist
Jordan Spieth battled a wrist injury for most of last season, and he suffered it again in October while reaching for the toaster to make breakfast for his son. Earlier in May, he injured his wrist and almost missed the PGA Championship.
“I was out for the next few weeks,” Spieth declared. I had excellent physical therapists after I eventually found the source of everything, and over the past three months, I’ve had to fit it into my routine, and will continue to do so. But essentially got to the bottom of it and “Been able to do some really cool things, although maybe not as much as I wanted.”
Spieth said he treated the first injury with ice and rest, assuming it was swelling. After the most recent setback, doctors discovered that the injury involved the ulnar nerve, which, according to Spieth, “is nothing to mess with.”
“It turned out to be anxious, which is fortunate for me because I wasn’t doing anything that may have injured myself at any point, which would have led what happened,” Spieth said. “Both MRIs showed almost the same results, and the pain and immobility I had thereafter should never have occurred. It didn’t make much sense from the MRI, and then just got a bunch of tests and some work done.”
Spieth did not win any tournaments last season, but has been feeling good about his game in the offseason.
“I’m feeling healthy,” he said. “I intend to proceed with the job we’re doing because I’m feeling pretty positive about it.
Morikawa's big changes
Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa is also on the mend after being forced to withdraw from the made-for-TV Netflix Cup on November 15 due to a bad back. In June, Morikawa also had to contend with a back issue at The Memorial.
“Being in that circumstance is not enjoyable,” Morikawa remarked “I’ve talked to other players about it. It’s not good. I’m 26 and now it’s double what it was in the last few months, but it’s something we’ll stay on top of. We know what to do.”
Morikawa no longer needs to bring up his protracted losing streak when on tour, at least. On October 22, he won the Zozo Championship in Japan, snapping a 27-month losing streak. It was his first win since picking up his second major win at the 2021 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England.
Morikawa’s sixth PGA Tour win came just weeks after he parted ways with longtime swing coach Rick Sessinghaus after an 18-year relationship. Mark Blackburn, who also serves as Justin Rose’s and Max Homa’s coach, is currently Morikawa’s trainer.
Morikawa said of Sessinghaus, “He’s more than just a coach, he’s one of my really good friends.” “He’s a guy I’ve always looked up to, he’s been a guy essentially every step of my life, not just in golf but just living life, right? It wasn’t easy, and Sometimes things are like that. 18 years, though, is a long time.
“So it wasn’t easy at all. I simply felt that a change needed to be made at some point, therefore I had to do it. What I saw over the last two years wasn’t up to my expectations and standards and the goal was to remain the same.” What I wanted.”
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