Tiger Woods is plotting an assault on the majors in 2018.
Woods’ pain-free comeback at the Hero World Challenge prompted the sport’s biggest name to claim he is “excited” about the future.
Making his long-awaited return from a fourth back surgery – it was his first tournament for 301 days since pulling out the Dubai Desert Classic in February – Woods posted three sub-70 rounds at the Albany Club in the Bahamas to finish in a tie for ninth place in the 18-man field.
The performance lifted Woods from 1,199th to 668th in the world golf rankings, but more crucially, the 41-year-old was swinging freely with no sign of the back pain that has hampered him in recent years.
“I’m excited,” said Woods, who’s had eight long-term injury layoffs for various ailments since winning the last of his 14 majors at the 2008 US Open.
“My expectations are we’ll be playing next year. We’re going to figure out what’s the best way for me to build my schedule for the major championships.”