Is this a new beginning for Tiger Woods?
Or the beginning of the end?
These are questions that face the 41-year-old 14-time major champion as he makes his highly anticipated PGA Tour return at this week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in what will be his first official Tour event in 17 months.
Woods, who last played a PGA Tour event in August 2016 at the Wyndham Championship, hopes this week is the beginning of a new, healthy and prosperous chapter in his career.
The Farmers is the beginning of a stretch of four tournaments Woods is scheduled to play in the next five weeks. He’s committed to play the Omega Dubai Desert Classic next week, then the Genesis Open in Los Angeles and the following week at the Honda Classic.
This week is full of compelling storylines for Woods, who’s won eight professional events at Torrey Pines — seven times in this PGA Tour event as well as the 2008 US Open, the last major championship he won.
Torrey Pines also is where Woods in 2015 walked gingerly off the course and had to withdraw in the middle of his opening round with back pain that eventually would send him to multiple surgeries and a protracted layoff to rehabilitate.
In the first week of December, Woods made an unofficial return of sorts at his own tournament, the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, and he came away with a number of positives despite finishing in 15th place in the 17-player field. He led the field with 24 birdies and shot 65 in his second round. But he made too many big numbers and failed to find consistency from one round to the next.
The Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas is a forgiving track with huge, wide-open fairways, no rough and little in the way of trouble. The field was small and the crowd of spectators even smaller. It was as low-key as a tournament with world-class players can get.
Torrey Pines is a course with brawny major championship characteristics, a layout that runs more than 7,600 yards, has heavy rough and puts a premium on driving the ball long and straight — which has not been Woods’ strength, even in his prime.
So Torrey Pines is a serious step up in degree of difficulty. That makes this week a real litmus test for Woods, revealing how close he is to either hanging with the game’s elite or possibly competing to win again.
But to think Woods, despite his previous eight wins on the golf course and 79 total career victories, will be in contention on Sunday is a bit much to ask. Making the 36-hole cut and showing consistent improvement in each of the four rounds is a more realistic measure of a successful week.
Woods, in an interview earlier this week advancing the Genesis Open, which his foundation hosts, conceded the physical rigors of playing four tournaments in five weeks “is a concern, no doubt about it.’’
“But, I’m also looking forward to it,’’ he said. “I sat out long enough. My body is in a pretty good state where I feel I can handle the workload. But I still have to go out and do it. I’m excited about getting started on the season. I’ve missed playing. I’ve missed competing. I’m coming back to one of my favorite venues [Torrey Pines]. I’m looking forward to it.
“I’ve played a lot at home, but it’s different than being out here at Tour level and playing against these guys and the flow of playing tournament golf,’’ he went on. “I’ve been away from it for a very long time. I need to have my health at a state where I can prepare and get my game ready to play at an elite level. When I feel that way, I know I can shoot scores and win golf tournaments.’’
The familiar tone of confidence has returned to Woods’ words. Now he needs to back up the confidence with performance.
“I know that he’s very motivated to come out and play well,’’ Jason Day told reporters Tuesday at Torrey Pines. “He’s excited. Who wouldn’t be excited to play after 17 months off? Obviously he plays well here. It’d be great to play with him on Sunday. Not early, late.’’
If Woods still is playing in the tournament on Sunday — early or late — that would be a victory of sorts.