By Dan Rapaport
NEW PROVIDENCE, Bahamas — Twenty of the world’s finest golfers are teeing it up in this week’s Hero World Challenge, but it’s the actions of a certain non-competitor that have the golf world buzzing.

Just nine months after his single-car accident resulted in traumatic leg injuries, Tiger Woods is on-site at Albany this week to host the Hero, which benefits his TGR Foundation. His hosting duties include a bunch of photo ops, beachside parties and corporate shindigs … and, most notably, a bunch of range sessions.

Yes, just days after telling Golf Digest that he would never play the Tour full-time “ever again” and that he’s a long way off competing at the PGA Tour level, Woods has been seen hitting balls at least three times over the last four days in the Bahamas. On Wednesday, the PGA Tour’s official Twitter account posted video of Woods hitting two 3-woods off the hitting area toward the back of Albany’s driving range, some 350-plus yards away from the primary practice tee being used this week.

Full swing Woods. pic.twitter.com/oTAoL7eeCa

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 2, 2021

On Friday, Woods went back to the back area to hit balls alongside Bryson DeChambeau. A source told Golf Digest that the two friends engaged in a light-hearted closest-to-the-pin challenge, and that Woods got the better of the World No. 7 at least twice.

?Here’s a couple from yesterday that I’m just seeing as well. Looks like Bryson got the special invite to the back range to hit balls with him yesterday. (?: Keyur Khamar / Getty Images pic.twitter.com/o1NowKwHVd

— TWLEGION (@TWlegion) December 4, 2021

On Saturday, Woods was photographed hitting what appeared to be full-swing drivers, once again making use of Albany’s back range.

Tiger up to the driver now. pic.twitter.com/e9jIaeMyKm

— Doug Ferguson (@dougferguson405) December 4, 2021

“I can hit it, it just doesn’t go as far,” Woods told Golf Channel on Saturday. “The power’s not there.”

He was then asked if he feels like he’s taking a risk when he swings. “It has before, and if I go at it at what I would say is my old speed, yes it is (a risk),” Woods said.

There is ongoing speculation that Woods will participate in the PNC Father-Son Challenge, which begins in Orlando on Dec. 18. He will make a decision on that matter next week, sources tell Golf Digest, and he said at his news conference on Tuesday that he is much closer to playing a ”hit-and-giggle” than competing on tour. The PNC is a two-round event that allows teams to ride in carts, and its scramble format would allow Woods to only hit shots he feels comfortable with.

That Woods is hitting drivers and even considering playing an event—even an exhibition—less than 10 months after a horrific accident qualifies as remarkable.

The post Tiger Woods sure appears to be in driving-range grind mode at the Hero World Challenge appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Dave Shedloski
There has been plenty of buzz about Tiger Woods since he made his comeback at the Hero World Challenge in early December, and many of the players at the PNC Father-Son Challenge took notice.

One notable exception was Jack Nicklaus.

Nicklaus was in the midst of hosting a charity function that weekend and didn’t see much of Woods’ performance. Asked if he had an interest in watching Woods on the comeback trail, the Golden Bear replied succinctly, “I’m not interested at all.”

That’s not to say that Woods is a special case. Between his business and his growing commitment to charity and his large family, golf isn’t the priority it once was for the 18-time major winner. He does keep in touch with the game, and he enjoys being around players at his annual Memorial Tournament or at his Bears Club in Jupiter, Fla.

“Do I wish him well? Yeah, but I’m not interested in watching him,” Nicklaus said Friday afternoon at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, where he will compete this weekend with his 15-year-old grandson, Gary Nicklaus Jr., who goes by G.T. “I don’t watch golf much. The television set is always on, but I don’t really watch it.”

Later the Golden Bear conceded that of course he has an interest in how Woods play, “because Tiger is good for the game and has been for a long time.”

The little Nicklaus did see of Woods was encouraging, he said.

“Tiger seemed to hit the ball pretty well over there and seemed to enjoy it, seemed to be pain-free,” said the Bear, who turns 78 in January. “I didn’t see enough of his swing. I saw him [as I was] walking by the television set and saw him hit a shot or two. The swing as I saw, looked good. It looked like a swing of somebody who did not want to hurt his back.”

Other players admitted making a point to see what the 14-time major winner could do in his first competitive rounds in more than 300 days.

“I’ll tell you, he looked ready,” said Lee Trevino. “He looked good. He looked a little more like his old self.”

“Yeah, I was interested in watching him,” added Tom Lehman. “There’s a tremendous amount of upside for him at this stage of his career. I think there are a lot of possibilities for him going forward if he can stay healthy.”

Mark O’Meara, who has been closest to Woods since Woods turned pro in 1997, said he saw a difference in his friend.

“I think all of us know what he’s meant to the game and where he took this game over the last almost 20 years,” O’Meara said. “Over the last three, four years we’ve missed him. The ups and downs he’s had – and we’ve all had them in our lives – you know, that makes it difficult to compete at the highest level. I’m not around Tiger Woods like I used to be, but what I saw was really great, maybe above what I thought he could do. He looks happier and in a better place. And I’m happy for him that he is doing better.”

The post Jack Nicklaus on Tiger Woods’ comeback: He’s interested, but ‘not interested in watching him…I don’t watch much golf’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.