Tiger Woods' PGA comeback officially debuted on Jan. 24, Thursday. Although he is still warming up to his low profile return, Woods already has the Masters in mind.
Woods was sidelined for much of 2017 after he suffered a spinal injury. Since undergoing spinal fusion surgery, this year's contest is Woods first appearance in Torrey Pines, a place that he has dominated competitions in throughout his career.
Before Thursday's round, the former champion ended the Farmers Insurance Open with "tempered expectations" heading for his PGA tour comeback.
Woods later on faced the media through a press conference, answering a few questions about what was on his mind. One of the 14-time champion's main points was that he entered with "tempered" expectations.
"To be honest with you, I just want to start playing on the Tour and get into the rhythm of playing a schedule again," Woods said to the reporters, according to Fox Sports."I haven't done that in such a long time, so I don't know what to expect. Just go out there and just play. I'm going to grind," he added.
The former champion also recalled several instances where he was in a similar spot, particularly his 2008-2009 season where he was sidelined after an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury. Woods also said that the low expectations stem from the fact that this is his first time to play a full schedule since 2015.
While Woods has set lower expectations for his performance, the 42-year-old golfer made it clear that his long-term goals are still standard to his championship-caliber talent. He talked about how he is using the prior competitions to warm up for the U.S. Masters.
"I'm looking forward to playing a full schedule and getting ready for the Masters. That's just been my schedule and my outlook from '96-on," Woods said. The golfer also noted that there is "no reason to change" his plans post-surgery, saying that he is still the same golfer preparing for Augusta.
Woods' PGA tour comeback started on Thursday, Jan. 24, at 1:40 p.m. EST.
