Tiger Woods may be playing his first golf tournament since April but he’s certainly not easing himself back into action.
The 47-year-old is teeing it up this week at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
It is his first PGA Tour start since he withdrew from the Masters and had surgery on his right ankle in April.
But Woods is still as focused and disciplined as ever and has reportedly been texting his fellow players from the gym at 4am, asking them what they are ‘doing to get better’.
Former golfer turned TV analyst Brandel Chamblee claimed on Thursday that he’s aware of PGA Tour players who have received text messages from Woods at 4am saying: ‘I’m in the gym. What are you doing to get better?’
Tiger Woods has reportedly been texting his fellow PGA Tours golfers from the gym at 4am
The gym work is clearly paying off for Woods, who is playing alongside friend Justin Thomas, because he hit his first tee shot 326 yards.
After a pair of pars to start his round, Woods birdied the third to move to one-under.
He then bogeyed the fourth after a poor approach shot to drop back to level par but birdied the fifth to pick up another shot.
The 82-time winner on the PGA tour only played nine holes in Wednesday’s pro-am in order to conserve his energy for the first round Thursday.
He shot an even-par with two birdies and two bogeys, according to Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig.
Woods was playing alongside close friend Justin Thomas in his first round on Thursday
Woods said this week he believes he can still win and revealed his desire to compete is the main factor fueling his determination to return to the course.
‘I love competing. I love playing. I miss being out here with the guys. I miss the camaraderie and the fraternity like atmosphere out here, and the overall banter,’ Woods said.
‘But what drives me is I love to compete. There will come a point in time, I haven’t come around to it fully yet, that I won’t be able to win again. When that day comes and I’ll walk.’
When pressed on whether that meant he still believes he can win again, which could break his tie with Sam Snead for the PGA Tour record wins, the golf icon adamantly responded: ‘Absolutely.’
Woods has also taken the lead role among the players in the ongoing discussions about the future of the PGA Tour, whose framework agreement with the Public Investment Fund and the DP World Tour is currently set to expire December 31.
