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Tiger Woods says he's "taken it to another level" and "would love to play a full schedule in 2018"
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In a year where Tiger Woods shared more updates directly with his fans than ever before, he delivered one final briefing on his progress on Friday. If you were hoping for any actual news regarding the 14-time major champ's upcoming schedule, however, it seems you'll have to wait until 2018.
Woods, on the eve of his 42nd birthday on Saturday, seemed optimistic about his health and his game, but he remained vague when it came to divulging where -- and how often -- we'll see him teeing it up next year.
"Now, I feel I’ve taken it to another level. I’ve started practicing again and was out with Justin the other day and had a good time. I’m continuing to progress and trying to get strong enough to where I can handle a workload again. I would love to play a full schedule in 2018," Woods wrote on his website. "What that entails, including back-to-back events, I don’t know. I just have to continue to work on my body and game and see where I pan out. I wish I knew where I was going to play and when I was going to play – it’s a lot easier to prep for that – but we really don’t know. This is all unchartered territory."
The closest Woods came to giving a definitive look into his schedule came with his commitment to be at the Genesis Open -- at least, as a host, but hopefully as a player also.
"One way or another, I will be at Riviera Country Club in February for the Genesis Open," Woods wrote. "It’s such an historic site and the course will always have special meaning for me. That’s where it all started back in 1992 when I played in my first PGA Tour event at age 16. My foundation now runs the tournament and it will be great to return to my old stomping grounds. I greatly appreciate Genesis’s support of the event and the TWF."
The Genesis Open is Feb. 15-18. However, the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, a place where Woods has won eight times and routinely made his season debut, is three weeks prior.
Woods underwent a fourth back surgery in April and returned to competitive golf Nov. 30 at the Hero World Challenge. Woods finished tied for ninth in the 18-man field, but briefly held the lead in the second round.
"The biggest surprise for me was finding out that I had the lead after 27 holes," wrote Woods, who added he took a week off after the event. "I knew I was close after I eagled the ninth. It was nice to have played well enough to do that after being gone so long."
Woods was also pleasantly surprised by his power off the tee and with his irons in the Bahamas.
"My swing is definitely shorter and I can’t turn as far. My back is fused and that’s as far as it’s going to go. But I was surprised at how explosive I was," Woods wrote. "And on top of that, how well I putted. I had been rolling it well at home, but it’s totally different when you have adrenalin in your system. I’m more than a full-club longer than when I shut it down. I wasn’t hitting it very far and was struggling to hit it solid. That’s a bad combo.
The rest of Woods' lengthy post jumped around on a variety of topics like congratulating Rickie Fowler on winning the Hero World Challenge and congratulating Kobe Bryant on his jersey retirement. It also included a lot of thank-yous. Woods thanked fellow tour pros Chris Stroud and Bobby Gates for running a Hurricane Harvey fundraiser at the Woods-designed Bluejack National, and he thanked his former swing coach Chris Como, whom he separated from earlier this month. Woods also thanked all his sponsors and fans.
"Again, I can’t thank you enough for your continued support and am looking forward to a great 2018," Woods wrote.
Whenever it begins on the golf course.