5 Things - What We Learnt This Week About Tiger

Tiger Woods has been back in the news in recent weeks as we ready ourselves for seeing him back in action before the year's out...

1 Tiger gave us a bit of an insight into his ankle surgery that followed his withdrawal at this year's Masters. Woods was visibly struggling to get around Augusta after making the cut and he then wisely decided to call it a day and get some work done. Now he says that he is pain free but there are still plenty of concerns.

“My ankle is fine. Where they fused my ankle, I have absolutely zero issue whatsoever,” Woods said. “That pain is completely gone. It’s the other areas that have been compensated for.”

Woods likened it to when he had his back fused in 2017.

“All the surrounding areas is where I had all my problems and I still do. So you fix one, others have to become more hypermobile to get around it, and it can lead to some issues.”

2 Tiger was caddying last week for his son Charlie and, while he seemed to be walking gingerly but Ok, he admitted that it had been a tiring few days.

“I’m pretty sore after caddying for four days,” Woods said. “It was a flat course, thank God.”

Charlie finished off with a three-under 68 to finish in a tie for 17th at the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship in the Boys 14-15 Division.

3 There is still no movement on whether he will play in his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas at the end of the month with 19 of the 20 spots taken up. Maybe more likely is the PNC Championship in the middle of December which would be a team event with his son, played over two rounds and, being sanctioned by the PGA Tour Champions, he could use a cart.

4 This week we've had the Nedbank Challenge and Gary Player didn't miss the chance to drum up the possibility of Woods coming to play in 'Africa's Major' in the future. Woods last played in the tournament 25 years ago, where he lost in a play-off to Nick Price the year after he won his first Masters, and Player even extended the invitation to Woods' son, Charlie.

"We've got to get Tiger Woods back here somehow. He would enhance this tournament to another level. We got to honour his son who's a tremendous young golfer named after Charlie Sifford."

Max Homa and Justin Thomas have made the trip and Player is hopeful that it will set a new trend and Player was particularly impressed by Homa's behaviour off the course.

"It's good to see them here. We need more American players to come, but I think these fellas that are here are enjoying it. They've been telling us they'll go back and tell their friends. That man (Homa) is the most warm guy I've met in years, he came and said hello to all our tables at the restaurant. Arnold Palmer set the stage when he used to do that and he did the same thing which is great to see."

5 Early next year Woods will front the launch of the TGL, a tech-heavy league with 24 of the best players in the world and a series of 15-hole matches being played. Woods will lead the Jupiter Links Golf Club and he had a fresh little gig at LIV Golf at the launch of his franchise.

"Some of the stuff I've seen in LIV [Golf]... I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on. Here it's very simple."

Woods was reportedly offered something like $800m to join the breakaway circuit but he has always been a critic of the venture.