Woods returns after seven-month layoff
- Los Angeles: Tiger Woods re- turns from a seven-month in- jury absence this week amid plenty of uncertainty, but his goal at the Genesis Invitational remains clear: to win.
- "I would not have put myself out here if I didn't think I could beat these guys and win the event," the 15-time major cham- pion said on Tuesday. "That's my mentality."
- Woods hosts the tournament for the benefit of his charitable foundation, but it wasn't until Friday that he confirmed he would actually make his first Tour-level start since the British Open in July.
- Since then, he has continued his recovery from the severe leg injuries he suffered in a February 2021 car crash, his big- gest problem now the "intricate little balance" of building stamina in his damaged ankle so that he can walk 72 holes.
- "I can still hit shots, but it's the walking endurance that's hard," Woods said. "That's something that we've had to work on, walking distances on the beach, just basically stress it out but also be able to recover by the next day and see how it is inflammation- wise and then keep practicing," he said.