November 30, 2016: The weather is easing nicely as the week progresses in New Providence, Bahamas. It is warm and windy at the Albany Golf Resort, an exclusive preserve of some of the wealthiest people on the planet. The venue serves right for a tournament that is also an exclusive outing for some of the best golfers on the planet. The big story though is the return of Tiger Woods, a five-time winner of this event.
Action starts just a little after 1100am Eastern Time on Thursday. The field features 17 of the world’s top 40 and Tiger Woods, an exemption entry ranked 898. The tournament is an annual fixture, hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation, the charity run by Tiger Woods.
Bubba Watson, that man that took apart the course in 2016, is back to defend his title. He won it last year with an overwhelming -25 score, despite a double bogey at the final hole.
So is Jordan Spieth, the winner in 2014. While Spieth flew into the Southern hemisphere to win in Australia, Hideki Matsuyama has been firing on all cylinders – winning the HSBC Champions besides two other victories in Japan.
Zach Johnson, the winner in 2013 ensures that the last three champions are all in attendance to play on the wind swept Albany course.
The man at the centre of it all is Tiger Woods. The great American won this event in 2011; the last of his five victories in what is essentially his own event.
Tiger Woods’ last victory on the PGA Tour came at the Bridgestone Invitational in 2013. It will be a mighty task for Woods to retrace any of that this week, coming off a 15-month layoff to nurse his back.
And Tiger is clearly aware of the daunting task that lies ahead this week. “I know it is a tall order since I’ve been away from the game for so long and I’ve made a lot of different changes in my game,” admitted Woods in a lengthy presser on Tuesday.
“But the mindset’s still the same. And whether physically and also equipment, practice schedules, training, all that has evolved, the mindset of competing hasn’t. That is to go out there and try to beat these guys. I know they’re going to try and beat me. I’m going to try and beat them.”
The first of many men that will try to beat Tiger Woods this week will be Dustin Johnson. The athletic star has won the US Open this year to finally break the hoodoo and take his first major title.
He was also T4 in the Masters, celebrating a glorious season overall. He will be eager to give a good account of himself, playing alongside some of the finest golfers in the world.
The stage is set for a thrilling week of world class golf.
