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Tiger Woods has been cleared to play golf without any medical restrictions, according to his manager Mark Steinberg.
Just a day after he posted a video of himself on social media hitting driver, Steinberg confirmed via ESPN.com that Woods met with the same doctor who performed his most recent back surgery in April and that the 14-time major champion has yet to experience any pain since.
“He got a nice report and is allowed to proceed,” said Steinberg. “He can do as much as he needs to do. Tiger is going to take this very, very slowly. This is good, but he plans to do it the right way.”
Woods hasn’t played any competitive golf since withdrawing after the opening round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February – a curtailed comeback in itself after playing only the 2016 Hero World Challenge and 2017 Farmers Insurance Open following 16 months on the sidelines.
But US Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk and Woods’ former coach Hank Haney were impressed with the swing Woods had on show in his most recent uploads.
“That’s a swing he could win with,” Haney told GolfDigest.com. “It’s not across the line and stuck inside coming down. A little stiff looking but it’s good enough.”
Furyk, meanwhile, remarked to Sky Sports: “The swing looked good. It looked a lot like Tiger. It didn’t have the speed that we’re used to quite yet, but he’s recovering and that’s what he probably needs to build up.
“It’s nice to see him swinging a golf club. I know he wants to get back playing golf and I know he would love to play golf competitively and I think that would be great for golf.”
This year’s Hero World Challenge is just six weeks away and there are
still two spots available in the limited field event from November 30 –
December 2.
Recent videos, including the one hitting driver and also ones of
Woods hitting ‘smooth irons shots’ and his appearance at a clinic with
Kevin Chappell, have raised hopes that a comeback could be a lot sooner
than most expected.
But despite excitement from fans and fellow tour pros, Steinberg
played down the possibility that Woods could return in the Bahamas at
his own event.
“We have not even talked about it,” he added. “We will see what each day brings, what each week brings.”
When do you think Tiger Woods will return? Let us know in the ‘Comments’ section below.
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