Woods returns to scene of phenomenal Torres Pines win

Tiger Woods is back on a golf course a lot sooner than many people expected. However, it was all not quite as it seemed as the World’s number one golfer returned to the venue for his famous US Open victory earlier this year. Instead of playing, Woods was acting as a caddie for the winner of a ‘Tee off with Tiger’ competition.

Jon Abel was the extremely lucky man to hear the American say the words “I hear you're looking for a caddie. I'm Tiger Woods - pleased to meet you." This must have been an amazing feeling for the 59-year-old from New Jersey and one that he will never forget. Imagine having someone like Woods advising you on what shot to play – incredible!

Abel recognises that the whole experience was a real honour. He also said that Woods ‘showed me things I never even thought about’. Understandably, nerves came into it for Abel as well, but he said that he wasn’t as nervous after the ‘third or fourth hole’.

Perhaps the most significant factor of this whole scenario though was the fact that Woods showed no discomfort from the injury that is ruling him out of competitive action right now. During his epic US Open victory he was visibly in pain throughout, but after the knee surgery he has had recently, there was no limping at all.

This, of course, doesn’t mean that he is ready for action again, but it is a sign that things are moving in the right direction. Speaking about the injury, Woods said that he is ‘able to chip and putt now’ and that he can walk comfortably enough. However, the ‘rotational stuff’ is going to be more difficult and because of that, he can’t put a time scale on when he will return to the fold.

Woods recently vowed to come back stronger than ever and I really hope this is the case because that US Open victory was like nothing I have ever seen before – it was amazing. If Woods comes back in that sort of form and provides that sort of entertainment, I’d place a lot of my golf betting money on the fact that the majority of people connected with golf will be pleased to see him back.

Despite being injured since the middle of June, Woods still sits in second place on the leading money winners list for 2008. He sits just below Vijay Singh and just above Phil Mickelson. Given the way he was playing though, I think it would be safe to say that the golf odds would have backed Woods to be leading this table by quite some way had his knee not have been such a nuisance.

By Thomas Rooney