Tiger Woods fever grips Albany

November 29, 2016: 898. Despite the symmetry of that number, it isn’t the kind you might associate with a certain Tiger Woods. Yet after nearly a year and half out of action, that is where Tiger sits on the Official World Golf Rankings. He is hosting and playing the Hero World Challenge this week in a bid to put his career back on track.

The media centre at the Albany Golf Resort is nearly double the size last year, underlining the enduring appeal of Tiger Woods as the global icon for golf. Some of the top writers from the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, ESPN and Golf Magazine are all in attendance at an event, in a seeming departure from the past.

Tiger Woods has expressed cautious optimism about his chances this week among a quality field of top golfers. The field in Bahamas has some marquee names looking to usurp the title from Bubba Watson, the defending champion.

“I care about this, so yeah there are nerves,” admitted Tiger Woods. “But I am confident that I can play well and compete with the guys here. You need to be among the top 50 to play here, but the committee has made an exception,” he joked to chuckles of laughter from the media.

The field includes – Dustin Johnson (world No.2), USA; Jordan Spieth (4), USA; Henrik Stenson (5), Sweden; Patrick Reed (7), USA; Bubba Watson (8), USA; Hideki Matsuyama (10), Japan; Rickie Fowler (11), USA; Justin Rose (12), England; Jimmy Walker (17), USA; Matt Kuchar (19), USA; Russell Knox (20), Scotland; Brandt Snedeker (22), USA; Brooks Koepka (23), USA; Louis Oosthuizen (24), South Africa; J.B. Holmes (25), USA; Emiliano Grillo (26), Argentina; Tiger Woods (tournament host), USA; Zach Johnson (exemption), USA

The last time Tiger Woods played a competitive round of golf, in August 2015, he finished the Wyndham Championship in T10, four behind the winner Davis Love III.

Woods has made some changes to his bag – the Scotty Cameron putter, a TaylorMade driver and a Bridgestone ball. But equipment isn’t the only thing Tiger is changing – at nearly 41 (end of next month), he is needing to hit the gym before play and sink in a hot/cold tub at the end of play to manage his muscles and recovery.

Clearly though, the 14 time major champion is eager to write in a final chapter of greatness to an already enormous career. And the first page of that chapter will be written this week on New Providence Island in the Bahamas.