MIAMI – American golf star Tiger Woods said on Nov 28 that his right ankle is without pain and he is not concerned about walking 72 holes this week, in his return to competition for the first time since his ankle surgery in April.

The 15-time Major champion spoke ahead of the Hero World Challenge, a 20-player event he hosts at Albany Golf Club which starts on Nov 30 in the Bahamas.

“My game feels rusty. I haven’t played in a while,” he said. “But I’m excited to compete and play and I’m just as curious as all of you to see what happens because I haven’t done it in a while.”

Woods, who turns 48 on Dec 30, is playing competitively for the first time since undergoing right ankle surgery on the same leg that suffered severe injuries in a 2021 car crash.

“I don’t have any of the pain I had at the Masters or pre-that in my ankle,” he added. “Other parts are taking the brunt of the load so I’m a little more sore in other areas.

“But the ankle is good so that surgery was a success.”

He was limping around Augusta National – where he won his first Major in 1997 and his most recent in 2019 – in pain in April.

“At some point in time, I was going to have to get my ankle replaced or fused,” Woods said. “The ankle just went. It was bone on bone.

“That’s why you saw me limping and not feeling very good... we chose the fusion and put the hardware in there.

“The next part was the hard part – six months of doing nothing. But now I’m not concerned at all walking (72 holes).”

The 82-time PGA Tour winner – he holds the record alongside Sam Snead – has not played in an event since withdrawing from the third round of the Masters due to plantar fasciitis.

However, Woods is confident that he could play as much as once a month in 2024, likely starting at February’s Genesis Invitational at Riviera, which benefits his charity foundation, and flowing into the four Majors.

“The best scenario would be maybe a tournament a month,” he said. “I think that’s realistic.

“I need to get myself ready for all of that. This week is a big step in that direction.”

He will tee off in the opening round alongside United States compatriot Justin Thomas, a two-time PGA Championship winner.

Meanwhile, Woods is not thinking about serving as the US captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup, citing his duties on the PGA Tour policy board trying to finalise a merger agreement with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf.

The Americans lost to the Europeans in Rome in October.

Woods is among six players on the policy board that must approve the framework deal by a Dec 31 deadline or risk a return to golf’s civil war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.

He is confident that the deal will be completed, vowing to make the best deal for all players.

However, Woods also admitted he was left “frustrated” by the lack of player involvement in the PGA Tour’s talks with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) before the announcement of a framework agreement in June.

The pact stunned the golf world and raised concerns over Saudi Arabia’s role in the deal and the risks posed by a foreign government entity assuming control over the sport.

Critics have accused the PIF of being a vehicle for the country to improve its reputation, or “sports-washing”, as it faces criticism of its human rights record.

“My reaction was surprised, just like I’m sure a lot of the players were taken aback,” said Woods.

“So quickly without any input or any information about it, it was just thrown out there.

“We were very frustrated with what happened and we took steps going forward to ensure that we were not going to be left out of the process like we were. So part of that process was putting me on the board.” AFP, REUTERS