Tiger Woods is very much like the proverbial kid in a candy store brimming over with enthusiasm ahead of his return to competition at this week’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
It will have been 465 days since Woods last competed in finishing T10th in August 2015 at the Wyndham Championship.
Everyone from his fellow pros to the weekend amateur have missed that buzz created by the presence of Woods.
And if his practice rounds this week on the exclusive Albany Club is any indication, including the delight in "bombing" a 350-yard drive down the 15th on Monday and some 50 metres past local resident Justin Rose, is an indication then Woods could surprise many in the elite 18-player, no-cut $US3m event.
“I’ve had enough of watching guys like ‘Kuch’ (Matt Kuchar) from a golf cart and, while I love him to death, I’m done with that and I need to get back out playing again him and the other guys,” he said.
“So after what I went through last year and being at this year’s Ryder Cup that’s enough and what most people don’t understand is that how much of a fraternity it is out here.
“The amount of dinners I’ve attended with the guys there along with the texts and the phone calls over the last 14, 15, 16 months they wanted me to come back out and play.
“So after all the fun practice rounds back home with the guys playing for a little side change but to get back out here at this level is the challenge.
“It’s the result of a lot of hard work and involved an inordinate amount of patience which is as everyone may know, is not one of my hallmarks.
“But then being away from the game has allowed me to a number of other things like unify all my brands under TGR, and to also spend as much time with my children, Charlie and Sam”.
And among Woods plans over the next few years is to accept the honour of being a USA Ryder Cup captain.
“I would love to honoured being selected as a Ryder Cup captain but I know it won’t be for a while as in 2018 I am targeting being a playing assistant captain,” he said.
“I was hoping for that role this year but it didn’t quite work out that way.
“So, yes, ultimately I would love to become a Ryder Cup Captain but I am conscious of the one piece of advice I have gotten from every captain I have spoken to, and that’s don’t become captain until to your career is almost done or is done.
“It’s two years of sacrifice of your life and you have so many obligations and that takes away from you competing and you game is certain to take a dip.
“So everyone I have spoken to has said to me wait as long as you can before you do it, and make sure you’re done playing.
“But we will just have to wait and see as I don’t know what my back is going to be doing but would I like to play a full schedule for the next decade plus? Yes, I would as that would be great.
“Can I? I don’t know and we’ll see.
“The thing is that this is fun for me to do. I miss the camaraderie and what some still don’t understand I love to compete, I love to playing against these guys and I love being out here.”
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