Tiger Woods insists he is only returning to the PGA Tour this week because he believes in his ability to win again.

The 47-year-old has entered his first non-major event on the tour since playing the Zozo Championship in October 2020, and he continues to feel the effects of his February 2021 car crash.

He was left with a severely broken leg among a host of injuries, and the 15-time major winner accepts the end of his career is probably not far away.

It is ankle pain that gives Woods the most concern at present, as he prepares to compete in the Genesis Invitational tournament run by his foundation at the Riviera Country Club in California.

But he is optimistic about his ability to hit good golf shots and get around the course without needing a buggy.

"I would not have put myself out here if I didn't think I could beat these guys and win the event. That's my mentality. I'm very rusty but I've come off rusty situations before and done well," Woods said.

After needing a long recuperation from the severe injuries to his right leg, Woods said the limb is "better than it was last year".

In his efforts to put himself through strenuous exercise to build up resilience, Woods said he "may have overdone it a couple of times, but here I am".

"I'm there to get a W, OK?" he said in a pre-tournament press conference.

"I don't understand that making the cut is a great thing. If I entered the event, it's always to get a W.

"There will come a point in time when my body will not allow me to do that anymore, and it's probably sooner than later. But wrapping my head around that transition and being the ambassador role and just trying to be out here with the guys, no, that's not in my DNA."

Woods last played competitively at The Open at St Andrews last July, missing the cut.

He hopes to play the Masters in April, and this can reasonably be considered a test of his fitness with Augusta in mind.

The American great will be in familiar company when he tees off in the opening two rounds, having been included in a group of three with close friends Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy.

Woods shares the record for wins at PGA Tour level with the late Sam Snead, triumphing at the 2019 Zozo Championship to reach his current total of 82 career victories.

Tiger Woods is set to make his return to competitive golf at next week's Genesis Invitational, in what will represent his first non-major outing on the PGA Tour for over two years.

Woods has not played competitively since missing the cut at The Open at St Andrews last July, having struggled since he suffered serious leg injuries in a car crash in early 2021.

The 15-time major winner partnered Rory McIlroy in The Match in December, but he was unwilling to commit to playing regularly this year ahead of an outing alongside son Charlie at the PNC Championship that same month.

However, Woods announced on Friday that he had committed to the Genesis Invitational, the event run by his foundation at the Riviera Country Club in California.

"I'm ready to play an ACTUAL PGA Tour event next week @thegenesisinv," Woods tweeted.

The PGA Tour's communications account followed that message by saying: "Eighty-two-time PGA Tour winner Tiger Woods is committed to next week's Genesis Invitational.

"Thursday's first round will be Woods' first round in a non-major on the PGA Tour since the final round of the 2020 ZOZO Championship on October 25, 2020 (844 days ago)."

Woods has repeatedly said he will attempt to play a limited schedule including the major championships, with the injuries he suffered in 2021 requiring multiple surgeries and continuing to hamper his ability to walk.

Tiger Woods praised his "great team-mate" as he and son Charlie started their PNC Championship strongly on Saturday.

Competing for a third year at the tournament where professional golfers play alongside family members, Woods and his son carded a 13-under 59, sitting in joint-second place alongside Vijay and Qass Singh and two shots behind leaders Justin and Mike Thomas.

Woods, a 15-time major winner, suffered serious leg injuries in a car crash in early 2021 and has struggled through 2022, only playing a handful of events since missing the cut at The Open Championship in July.

Speaking to the media after their round, Tiger was pleased with their performance and grateful to share the course again with Charlie.

"We had a blast slaying it today," he said. "All day we were after it, and we didn't get off to a great start, but we made some birdies, an eagle and got rolling and really got into it, which was awesome. 

"And to be able to share it with Charlie and to be able to share it with the Thomases and the whole family... just an incredible day."

Charlie added, like father like son, he had been playing through injury as well, saying his "ankle has been a little iffy, but it's just been really fun playing with Dad".

A case of plantar fasciitis saw Woods senior withdraw from the Hero World Challenge earlier this month, before he returned to partner Rory McIlroy in The Match.

When 13-year-old Charlie was asked how he felt his father had played, Tiger interjected to jokingly say "no comment", before more sincerely adding: "[Charlie is] a great team-mate. He's my son.

"We have fun out there. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about. It's about us having an opportunity to bond. We do this at home all the time, and you guys are now seeing what we do all the time at home.

"We just have fun. We needle each other. We encourage each other. It goes back and forth. It's just an amazing relationship, and it just deepens the bond between father and son. It's been incredible over the years to be able to share this stage and this atmosphere with him."

Tiger Woods is not fearing an injury setback by playing at the PNC Championship, as he prioritises spending time on the course with his son Charlie.

The 15-time major winner, who suffered serious leg injuries in a car crash in early 2021, has struggled through 2022 and has only played a handful of events since missing the cut at The Open Championship in July.

A case of plantar fasciitis saw him withdraw from the Hero World Challenge earlier this month, before he returned to partner Rory McIlroy in The Match.

There had been questions whether Woods would play at the PNC Championship, where pro golfers partner up with family members, but the 46-year-old is unconcerned by the risks.

"You know, I really don't care about that," he said at a press conference, after acknowledging he might well make his injury worse over the weekend.

"I think being [here] alongside my son is far more important. To get to have this experience with him is far better than my foot being a little creaky."

Woods acknowledged his year had been a tough one, with his recovery taxing, but stressed he had outperformed his own expectations in terms of golf played.

"It's been a lot harder than people probably imagine," he explained. "There are players who are very close to me, and they're the ones encouraging me to back off a little bit.

"But that's not really in my nature. My nature is trying to get better, and I have. I was able to play and compete in three major championships this year.

"I played more this year than I certainly thought [I would]. I was just hoping to play St Andrews. So that's far, far more than what I had expected going into the year."

Woods has kept a busy card during the PGA Tour off-season, but says he is ready to wrap matters up once the PNC Championship is done.

"I've kind of ramped things up," he said. "After this, come Monday, we'll shut it all down and take care of this foot.

"As you've seen, I can hit golf balls. I can do all that. I can practice at home. I can hit shots around the green. I can do all that. I just can't get from point A to point B."

Woods was less equivocal about what he may do in 2023 however, conceding his decision to eschew rest this weekend could impact his ability to play on regularly in the new year.

"If I didn't have this, I could tell you," he added. "I'd have a better idea. But I'm supposed to be resting this [foot] and I'm not doing that at the moment."

Tiger Woods fell to a 3 and 2 loss alongside Rory McIlroy on his return to the course, after the pair were downed by Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in The Match.

The 15-time major winner partnered the world number one, friend and fellow PGA flagbearer for the televised exhibition contest, played over 12 holes at Pelican Golf Club in Florida.

The event, which raised money for Hurricane Ian relief efforts, is the third edition of the event, with Woods a mainstay of the competition.

But having sat out the Hero World Challenge through injury last week due to plantar fasciitis, the 46-year-old and his partner were outmatched across the contest.

Spieth and Thomas took the second, third and fourth holes to race into an early lead, and although Woods and McIlroy pulled back the seventh, the former pair restored their advantage on the eighth.

It marked a good-natured battle between the four, who have emerged as major players on the PGA Tour following a slate of defections to the breakaway LIV Golf tour.

Woods and McIlroy in particular have been vocal critics of the Saudi-funded series of events, which have attracted several of the sport's best players and sparked a bitter civil war in golf.

The duo have suggested reconciliation could be possible, but only if LIV Golf figurehead Greg Norman was to relinquish his position as CEO and stand down.

Woods will next play in the PNC Championship later this month, where he is expected to partner his son Charlie at the family event.

Tiger Woods will use a cart to help him cope with a foot injury when he partners Rory McIlroy in The Match charity event this weekend.

The 15-time major winner has not played competitively since missing the cut at The Open in July, having struggled with plantar fasciitis in his right foot – pain in the heel caused by tissue inflation.

However, Woods, who was also absent from last week's Hero World Golf Challenge, will be aided by a cart when he teams up with world number one McIlroy in Florida for Hurricane Ian relief.

The pair will compete against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in the 12-hole competition at Pelican Golf Club.

"I can hit golf balls. It's just hard getting from point A to point B, so [the cart] will certainly help a lot," he said.

"Being in a cart is a totally different deal. That's something I've done at home quite a bit. When I was trying to gear up and be able to play in the Hero and see if I could actually do it, the walking part was the challenge, it wasn't actually swinging.

"I've got to get this plantar to heal and that just takes time. It's not something that happens overnight. It's going to take a lot of rest and healing and unfortunately, treatment. It's a tough road."

Later this month, Woods will play in the PNC Championship alongside 13-year-old son Charlie, who he advised to copy McIlroy's swing – a compliment that means a lot to the four-time major winner.

"[Tiger is] probably the best iron player that's ever lived, probably the best golfer that's ever lived. Period," McIlroy added.

"I think if he can just get it out in the fairway, and get some looks in the fairway, I think we're going to have a really good chance.

"It's flattering that, in my opinion, the best player ever is telling his son to swing like me. My dad taught me how to play the game growing up, and his thing was to always hold your finish, and I think that's what Tiger's dad taught him back in the day.

"Tiger's picked up on that and tried to instil that in Charlie. Charlie is a great kid, and he is a great young player. We are all excited to follow his progress and see how far he can go."

Rory McIlroy decided to become "a pain in the a**e" for Greg Norman after the LIV Golf chief executive accused him of having been "brainwashed" by the PGA Tour.

The Northern Irishman has been a fierce critic of the controversial Saudi Arabia-backed circuit, and was recently joined by Tiger Woods in calling for Norman to leave his role.

McIlroy said last month that Norman must "exit stage left" and that the bitter civil war engulfing the sport would not end "unless there's an adult in the room".

Norman recently opted to continue the duo's war of words when speaking to Today's Golfer, saying he paid "zero attention" to the three-time FedEx Cup champion's opinion.

Speaking to the Irish Independent, McIlroy recalled a positive exchange he had with Norman after watching a documentary focused on the Australian's collapse at the 1986 Masters, where Jack Nicklaus edged him out for a one-shot victory.

"It was a bit of an olive branch," McIlroy said. "He came back to me straight away, [saying] 'I really think golf can be a force for good around the world... I know our opinions are not aligned but I'm just trying to create more opportunities for every golfer around the world.'

"Fine. Really nice. Then, a couple of weeks later, he does an interview with The Washington Post and says I've been brainwashed by the PGA Tour.

"We've had this really nice back-and-forth and he says that about me.

"I thought: 'You know what? I'm going to make it my business now to be as much of a pain in his a**e as possible'."

Greg Norman says he pays "zero attention" to Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy after they called for him to be ousted as LIV Golf CEO and commissioner.

Woods this week echoed McIlroy's sentiments that Norman "has to go" in order for the PGA Tour and breakaway series LIV Golf to hold constructive talks, with the two organisations having filed lawsuits against each other.

The legendary American stated: "There is an opportunity out there if both organisations put a stay on their litigation. That's the problem.

"There is no willingness to negotiate if you have litigation against you. I think Greg has to go first of all. It has to start with leadership on their side, understanding that what is happening right now is not the best future for the whole game of golf.

"You need to have the two bodies come together and if one side has so much animosity, trying to destroy our tour, then how do you work with that?"

World number one McIlroy said last month: "I think he [Norman] just needs to exit stage left. He's made his mark but I think now is the right time to sort of say, look, you've got this thing off the ground but no one is going to talk unless there's an adult in the room that can actually try to mend fences."

Yet Australian Norman is adamant he will be going nowhere.

"I pay zero attention to McIlroy and Woods, right?" he told Today's Golfer. "They have their agenda for whatever reason. They're saying whatever they want to say.

"It has no bearing or effect on me. I'm going to be with LIV for a long, long period of time."

Norman says he can heal the rifts and is doing a good job.

He said: "Of course it can happen under my leadership. I mean, Tiger might be a messenger, right? Who knows. All I know is we are going to keep doing what we're doing with LIV, and we are just going to keep moving forward."

Norman added: "No matter where I go in the world, nobody - not one person - has said what I'm doing is stupid or wrong."

Tiger Woods will not pursue surgery on the foot injury that saw him withdraw from this week's Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

The 15-time major champion was due to play his first competitive event since missing the cut at The Open back in July but has been suffering with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

Woods had been scheduled to play three events in December, though it remains to be seen if he will play at all. 

The legendary American had been aiming to up his workload having played only three times last season due to the broken leg he sustained in a car accident in February 2021.

He explained that his latest issue will be treated with a "stretch and relax" method rather than going under the knife.

"You don’t want to go down the surgical route," Woods told the Golf Channel. "Injections, surgical, or just stretch and relax, and I chose to stretch and relax.

"Get off your feet, which I have done and continue to do. Also sleep at night with a boot on; try to stretch it out."

The injury, according to the PGA Tour's official website, affects around two million people in the United States and causes a stabbing pain near the heel as a result of an inflammation of a thick band of tissue.

Woods explained how playing full 18-hole rounds is tricky with the injury.

"When you first step out of bed, it's like, 'Oh my God'," he added.

"It's just a long haul. I just can't walk for too long a period of time."

Tiger Woods has hailed Rory McIlroy's leadership on the PGA Tour, after a busy year that saw the Northern Irishman impress on and off the course.

McIlroy has led the fight against the LIV Golf breakaway across 2022, while he has also returned to number one in the world rankings.

Woods echoed McIlroy's calls for LIV chief Greg Norman to step down earlier this week, in order to help heal golf's bitter civil war.

Now though, the 15-time major winner has expressed his wholehearted admiration for his fellow tour favourite, highlighting the respect he commands among his fellow players.

"What Rory has said and done are what leaders do," Woods said.

"Rory is a true leader out here on tour.

"The fact he's able to get things in the public eye, be so clear-minded and eloquent with it, [and then] go out there and win tournaments on top of that, people have no idea how hard that is, to be able to separate those two things.

"He's been fantastic. He's a great leader in our calls we make, and he's a great leader with all the players out here.

"Everyone respects him, and they respect him because not just his ball-striking, his driving, but the person he is."

Woods also assuaged McIlroy's earlier fears that he had given him COVID-19 on the eve of the Open Championship earlier this year, after the latter made the disclosure in an interview.

"I got tested," he added. "I was always negative. I was feeling under the weather, yes, but I never got a positive test."

Woods and McIlroy are set to partner each other in The Match later this month, with the former hoping to be fit after his withdrawal from the Hero World Challenge this week with a foot problem.

Tiger Woods has become the latest major figure on the PGA Tour to say LIV Golf's Greg Norman must leave to allow peace to break out as the sport's civil war persists.

The 15-time major winner has backed up world number one Rory McIlroy's comments for the Australian to stand down in order to help heal the divide.

Norman, the CEO and face of the Saudi-funded breakaway tour, has been a prominent figure amid a bitter split in golf, with several of the world's leading players defecting to the rival series and with lawsuits between both parties.

McIlroy already said the chance of a compromise between both tours was unlikely as long as Norman remained in place, and now Woods has echoed his words.

"I see that there's an opportunity out there if both organisations put a stay on their litigation, but that's the problem, they've got to put a stay on it," Woods stated ahead of the Hero World Challenge.

"Whether or not they do that or not, there's no willingness to negotiate if you have a litigation against you.

"So if they both have a stay and then have a break, and then they can meet and figure something out, then maybe there is something to be had.

"But I think Greg has to go, first of all, and then obviously litigation against us and then our counter-suit against them, those would then have to be at a stay as well. Then we can talk, we can all talk freely."

Woods was set to play in the Hero World Challenge this week, but he withdrew after developing a foot problem.

He is still set to partner McIlroy at The Match later this month and then play with son Charlie at the PNC Championship.

Tiger Woods' return to competitive golf has been delayed after he announced on Monday that he has withdrawn from this week's Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

Woods, 46, is also the host of the highly anticipated event, which features a small field consisting of 20 elite players, including world number two Scottie Scheffler, as well as major champions Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.

Arguably the greatest golfer of all time, Woods was scheduled to take part in three events in December, but the announcement of his foot injury on social media has put all three in jeopardy.

His statement says: "In my preparation and practice for this week's Hero World Challenge, I've developed plantar fasciitis in my right foot, which is making it difficult to walk.

"After consulting with my doctors and trainers, I have decided to withdraw this week and focus on my hosting duties.

"My plan is to still compete in The Match and PNC Championship."

Woods, who has not played competitively since failing to make the cut at The Masters in July, will not have long to recover.

He is scheduled to partner up with Rory McIlroy to take on the pair of Thomas and Spieth on December 10 for The Match, and just five days later he hopes to team up with his son, Charlie, in the PNC Championship.

With his withdrawal from the Hero World Challenge, Austria's Sepp Straka will take his place.

Rory McIlroy thinks he may have given Tiger Woods COVID-19 on the eve of the Open Championship after the pair played at a charity event beforehand.

The Northern Irishman, who claimed a third FedEx Cup this year, has forged a close bond over the years with the American, one strengthened by their shared views on the LIV Golf breakaway this season.

While several of their rivals warmed up at the Scottish Open for this year's Open, McIlroy and Woods played at a fundraising event hosted by JP McManus at Adare Manor.

Now, four-time major winner McIlroy has revealed he played at St Andrews while battling COVID-19 – and that he fears he gave it to Woods after the two dined together.

"I woke up feeling a bit achy but didn't really think anything of it," he told the Irish Independent. "[But] as I'm getting up from the table, I'm sore and stiff and super tired.

"I slept for maybe two hours, and the sweat was just pouring off me. Erica [McIlory's wife] took my temperature, and it was sky-high.

"[Tiger] texted me that night with chills and fever. I'm like 'f****** hell, I've just given Tiger COVID. This is horrendous!'. So we both had COVID going into the Open.

"The whole week of the Open, I didn't have any taste, and everything [was] like vinegar to me. Everything. It was really strange."

Woods went on to miss the cut at the Open, while McIlroy was edged out by Cameron Smith on the final day at St Andrews.

McIlroy did end the season on a high, topping the DP World Tour rankings and returning to number one in the world.

Tiger Woods has announced he will make his return to golf next month at the Hero World Challenge.

The tournament, which Woods hosts, will take place at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas from December 1-4.

Woods confirmed his involvement in a Twitter post on Wednesday.

The 15-time major winner has not played since he missed the cut at The Open at St Andrews in July.

Woods has only played nine competitive rounds of golf in 2022 – at the Masters, the US PGA Championship and The Open – following a car crash last year that left him with significant leg injuries. 

He has previously stated the damage caused by the accident means he will no longer be able to play a full schedule on the PGA Tour.

Woods also confirmed in his post Kevin Kisner and Tommy Fleetwood had been added to the Hero World Challenge field.

I am excited to announce that I will be in the field for this year’s #HeroWorldChallenge. A big welcome to @K_Kisner and @TommyFleetwood1 for joining us as well. See you soon at Albany!

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 9, 2022  
The announcement came two days after Woods was confirmed as a participant in the seventh edition of 'The Match' on December 10.

He will partner world number one Rory McIlroy against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in the exhibition.

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will team up to face Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas for the 'The Match' next month.

It was announced on Monday that 15-time major champion Woods and world number one McIlroy will take on the American duo at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida on December 10.

Spieth and Thomas, who have five majors between them, will take on Woods and McIlroy in what will be the seventh edition of the exhibition series.

Woods faced Phil Mickelson when the event launched five years ago, then came up against his compatriot again when Peyton Manning and Tom Brady played in 'The Match' in 2020.

Thomas and Spieth will be making their first appearances in the competition.

The legendary Woods made an incredible return at the Masters in April after he suffered serious injuries in a car crash last year, before also teeing off in the PGA Championship and The Open.

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