Miami (AFP) – Tiger Woods, a 15-time major winner who has not competed since the Masters following right ankle surgery, caddied for son Charlie in a 54-hole junior tournament, hinting at a possible December return.
Woods has not announced a timetable for any comeback but handling his son's bags at the Notah Begay III Boys Junior Golf National Championship this past weekend in Louisiana indicated his body might nearly be ready for such a move.
Woods suffered severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash and was sidelined until last year's Masters, where he finished 47th. He withdrew from the 2022 PGA Championship, skipped the US Open and missed the cut at the British Open.
After withdrawing in the third round of this year's Masters due to plantar fasciitis, Woods underwent surgery on his ankle in late April.
Woods, who shares the record for PGA Tour triumphs with Sam Snead at 82, has struggled to walk courses for four rounds since his comeback.
Charlie Woods fired a closing three-under par 68 to finish level for 17th at two-over 215 in the 14-15-year-olds division.
Woods, who turns 48 next month, also appeared before last week's PGA Tour event in Mexico, the tour's first event to be played on a course he designed.
At El Cardonal at Diamonte, Woods was seen walking comfortably down a long staircase and visiting with players, including fellow American Stewart Cink, the 2009 British Open winner who declared Woods was in "go mode" and had returned to practicing.
Charlie and Tiger Woods have played for the past three years at the PNC Championship, a best-ball event for parent and child. Competitors are allowed to use carts at the event, which is next played December 14-17.
There also remains a vacant spot in the field at the Hero World Challenge, an invitational event Woods hosts in the Bahamas that is scheduled for November 30-December 3.