Tiger Woods Climbs Over 400 Spots in World Rankings After 18th-Place Finish In Return
The 15-time Major winner earned more OWGR points than a ninth-place finish at either the South African Open or the Australian Open on the DP World Tour - events with over 130 more players in
Tiger Woods made his latest long-awaited return to professional golf at the 2023 Hero World Challenge in The Bahamas, finishing 18th in the 20-man field at Albany Golf Club.
And although the 15-time Major winner did not fulfil the 'Hollywood' storyline most would have loved to see, there were a couple of other worthwhile consolations.
Firstly, a good deal of competitive rust was shaken off via four commendable rounds. Following a slightly underwhelming 75 on Thursday, Woods fought back magnificently to post a two-under round on Friday in the no-cut tournament. He then wiggled his way to a one-under score on Saturday before ultimately ending the event at level par as Scottie Scheffler lifted the iconic trophy 20 strokes in front.
While the overall scoring was not as competitive as Woods would have liked, one of the greatest golfers ever to have lived still produced occasional flashes of his brilliance to whet the appetite for what may come in 2024.
Explaining how he felt after his first week back, Woods said: "I haven't done it in a while, I haven't done it with my ankle the way it is now, and I was excited each and every day to kind of get through it and kind of start piecing rounds together again.
"I haven't done this in a long time, so it was fun to feel that again. Every day I got faster into the round. The first day took me a while to get a handle on it, second day was faster, today was right away. And that's, when I play on a regular basis, that's normally how it is."
While the 47-year-old's trending game was cause for optimism, perhaps more importantly, there were also Official World Golf Ranking points on offer at Albany Golf Club. Having dropped to his lowest-ever spot in the standings recently, Woods' 18th-place effort helped him climb from 1,328th up to 898th courtesy of 2.4 points.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
As well as gaining $130,000 in prize money, Woods moved up 430 spots in the OWGR despite featuring in his first event since withdrawing from April's Masters.
There has been plenty of criticism about such a limited field being able to acquire such a valuable number of OWGR, especially considering those who finished tied-eighth and below at the Australian Open or tied fifth and below at the South African Open - both on the DP World Tour - secured fewer points than Woods.
But those involved in or supporting the Hero World Challenge pointed to the higher quality of the field when trying to justify the share of points.
Woods is back in action at the PNC Championship between December 14-17 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida.
Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. An improving golfer who still classes himself as ‘one of the worst players on the Golf Monthly team’, Jonny enjoys playing as much as he can and is hoping to reach his Handicap goal of 18 at some stage. He attended both the 150th and 151st Opens and is keen to make it an annual pilgrimage.
-
How All 16 LIV Golfers Got On In Round One Of The PGA Championship
Defending champion Brooks Koepka shot the best round of the 16 LIV Golfers in the field at Valhalla
By Elliott Heath Published
-
Junior Amateur Golfer Disqualified From LPGA Event After Signing Incorrect Scorecard
Mia Hammond was disqualified after the first round at the Mizuho Americas Open having self-reported the infraction
By Ben Fleming Published
-
'I'm Getting Stronger For Sure' - Tiger Woods Heartened By Improving Fitness Despite Disappointing First-Round PGA Championship Finish
Tiger Woods has work to do to make the cut at the PGA Championship after faltering late in the first round at Valhalla
By Ben Fleming Published
-
7 Takeaways From Tiger Woods' PGA Championship Press Conference
The 15-time Major winner addressed the media ahead of his efforts to claim the Wanamaker Trophy for the fifth time
By Mike Hall Published
-
Tiger Woods' Former Caddie Hints At 15-Time Major Champion's Future Career Plans
Tiger Woods could be considering competing on a new Tour in the coming years, according to former caddie Joe LaCava
By Ben Fleming Published
-
Tiger Woods Selected As Lone Player To Join PGA Tour Negotiations With Saudi Public Investment Fund
Tiger Woods will be part of a five-man team that seeks to finally strike a deal with LIV Golf's backers
By Ben Fleming Published
-
PGA Championship Field Finalized For Valhalla 2024
The PGA Championship has the largest field of all the Majors, with 156 players – here are the stars teeing it up at the Valhalla tournament
By Mike Hall Published
-
Nelly Korda Joins Tiger Woods In Exclusive Club After Impressing At 2024 Met Gala
The women's World No.1 was spotted at arguably the most prestigious fashion event on the planet days before she attempts to win a record sixth LPGA Tour title in a row
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Report: Tiger Woods Heads On Scouting Mission To Valhalla Ahead Of PGA Championship
The four-time PGA Championship winner is reportedly scouting Valhalla on Monday ahead of the second Major of the year
By Mike Hall Published
-
Tiger Woods' Sun Day Red Teases Release Of 'All Things Red' Collection
Tiger Woods' Sun Day Red brand launched in February, with his first line of products released to the public in early May
By Ben Fleming Published