Tiger Woods Returns To Competitive Golf 7 Months After Ankle Surgery

Tiger Woods is back and ready to compete in his highly-anticipated return to the PGA Tour!

The professional golfer dropped out of the sport for a seven-month recovery period after an ankle injury in April. The Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree is scheduled for his first competition on Thursday, November 30, at the Hero World Challenge.

This week, the Cypress sensation will tee it up for the first time since his ankle surgery at the Hero World Challenge. The golf tournament hosted by the Woods takes place each December, with twenty top-ranked golf stars competing for the $3.5 million prize.

The competition benefits the World Golf Hall of Fame inductee's Tiger Woods Foundation and serves as an unofficial event in the PGA Tour. Although the prize money is $3.5 million, the winner's share of the loot is $1 million and has been the two-time achievement of the defending champion Viktor Hovland.

However, the Norwegian professional golfer may have a hard time achieving his third straight victory in the tournament, given Woods’ scheduled appearance. The athlete's upcoming battle in the Hero World Challenge marked his first match in four years, as he last competed in the holiday event in 2019.

As shared by the Daily Mail, the tournament features 20 participants from Woods and Hovland to pro golfers like Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa, and Collin Morikawa, among others. The upcoming competition may also mark the 47-year-old's return to back-to-back victories, as he is the only other player with consecutive wins since the Hero World Challenge began in 2000.

Although it took the PGA Player of the Year recipient seven months to return, his comeback meant a lot to fans since his withdrawal from this year’s Masters. On April 9, the 15-time majors’ winner announced his decision to leave the tournament due to the reaggravation of his plantar fasciitis.

Days later, a health update was shared on the pro golfer's X page via a lengthy statement. The post revealed the Cypress native had undergone surgery to treat post-traumatic arthritis with the words:

"Earlier today, Tiger Woods underwent a subtalar fusion procedure to address post-traumatic arthritis from his previous talus fracture."

The statement noted that the ankle surgery performed by “Dr. Martin O’Malley at HSS Sports Medicine Institute in New York City” was completed without issues, and the athlete was gearing up for rehabilitation. The tweet sparked concerned responses from fans, with many sending their well wishes to Woods.

"Get well soon, Tiger. Hopefully, we’ll see you at one of the majors this year?" an X user hoped with another writing, "Wishing you a full recovery – don’t rush things as there is a lot U can do for golf besides playing."

A third praised the media personality's resilience, tweeting, "Tiger is a warrior for not only playing through this injury but also making the cut at @TheMasters. Heal up, big cat; the golf world will be praying."

Before the PGA Tour Money Leader honoree’s return to golf was announced, the entertainer's ex-girlfriend called off her legal action against him. Erica Herman filed a notice in Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal indicating she was withdrawing her previous statements.

The drama began six months ago when the golfer's former lover tried to nullify the non-disclosure agreement [NDA] she allegedly signed when the pair started dating over six years ago. In her initial court documents, Herman accused Woods of sexual assault by checking “yes” when asked if her case involved allegations of sexual abuse.

Additionally, she cited the Speak Out Act as the reason the NDA should be invalidated, as it protects victims of sexual assault or harassment. However, a judge deemed her attempt to claim sexual harassment against Woods as “vague” and lacking “factual specificity for any claim relating to sexual assault or sexual harassment.”

After appealing the judge's ruling, Herman changed her mind with her recent notice to drop the case. In her new filing, the media personality retracted the sexual assault allegation she made against Woods and confessed to never being a victim of sexual abuse or sexual harassment by either the professional athlete or any of his agents.

Before dropping the appeal, Herman had withdrawn her roughly $30 million lawsuit against the 47-year-old. The golfer's ex-girlfriend claimed she deserved the hefty bill as compensation after she was allegedly kicked out of the Cypress native's mansion following their split.

The plaintiff stated the former couple had an “oral agreement” allowing her to live at his mansion for eleven years, with five years left after their separation. However, Woods’ legal team denied these claims.