Tiger Woods had plenty of support in his latest comeback to professional golf at the Hero World Challenge, but one high-profile fan showed up to root him on in person on Sunday.
Tiger Woods had plenty of support in his latest comeback to professional golf at the Hero World Challenge, but one high-profile fan showed up to root him on in person on Sunday.
Rafael Nadal, the world's No. 1-ranked tennis player, was spotted in the gallery following Woods as he carded a final-round 68 at Albany.
Nadal and Woods, who have won a combined 30 major titles in their respective sports, have a history of supporting each other in big events. In September, Woods cheered on Nadal from seats in the Spaniard's box at the U.S. Open.
. is in the house! It's been so cool to see all the athletes from around the world excited to see Tiger back this week! pic.twitter.com/VF0QqTWQfm
— Teryn Schaefer (@TerynS_PGATOUR)
Watch: Spieth interrupts Fowler interview for congrats
Rickie Fowler is always the first one there to congratulate his friends when they win a big event.
On Sunday at the Hero World Challenge, Jordan Spieth returned the favor.
While it wasn't a major, Spieth was so excited about Fowler's final-round 61 at Tiger Woods' event in the Bahamas that he just had to give him props right away, even if it meant interrupting a TV interview.
After Further Review: Remarkable week for Tiger
Each week, GolfChannel.com takes a look back at the week in golf. Here's what's weighing on our writers' minds.
On Tiger's successful return ...
If a 280 total for 72 holes isn’t convincing enough, let the professionals prove the point.
“No doubt about it,” Patrick Reed said when your scribe asked if Tiger Woods could win in 2018.
Woods finished tied for ninth at the Hero World Challenge, an 18-man field. Assess that however you like, but the performance was nothing short of remarkable considering it had been 301 days since the 14-time major champion had played for anything more important than a few bucks with his friends.
Woods will need to clean up the mistakes that cost him on Saturday when he struggled to a 3-over 75, and he still must see how his body withstands consecutive weeks of competition; but if he remains healthy it’s impossible not to think that he can become competitively relevant again. – Rex Hoggard
On Tiger's Masters odds ...
There’s plenty of reason to feel optimistic about Tiger Woods’ 2018 prospects following a Bahamian return filled with plenty of highlights, but let’s pump the brakes on talk of a fifth green jacket.
Woods exceeded nearly every expectation at the Hero World Challenge, closing with a 68 to tie for ninth. But even a hint of success over the weekend led bettors to flock to the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, where Woods’ Masters odds that opened in August at 100/1 fell as low as 15/1.
He is currently listed at 20/1 to win the next major, and while few can match his knowledge of Augusta National those odds are still lower than three-time winner Phil Mickelson and defending champ Sergio Garcia, both listed at 30/1.
A successful spring could very well return Woods to the discussion of Masters favorites, and his popularity at the window means true odds will never be available. But those backing Woods at such short odds should probably find better ways to spend their hard-earned cash. – Will Gray
On Woods' prospects for 2018 ...
Tiger Woods will play in all four majors and as many as 12 PGA Tour events in 2018. Four days ago that didn’t seem possible. Now, I’m convinced it will happen.
Funny what four days in the Bahamas will do to change the mind when watching Woods blast drives past playing partners Justin Thomas, Henrik Stenson and Hideki Matsuyama. Funny what watching him hoist long irons high into the sky will do to change the mind. He made putts, he grinded, he showed potential. Woods made a believer out of me.
I’m not ready to say Woods will win, he did still finish 10 shots behind Rickie Fowler at the Hero World Challenge. I don’t see a scenario where he’ll be so dialed in that he can beat any of the strongest fields of the year, which are the events he will play. That won’t happen. But I’ll be happy enough just to see him play and smile; There was a time, not too long ago, when we didn’t know if that would ever happen again. – Jay Coffin
On Maria Torres making history ...
Maria Torres radiated with excitement finishing 20th Sunday in the final stage of LPGA Q-School in Daytona Beach, Fla. It made her the first Puerto Rican to earn LPGA membership.
Back in her home in San Juan, where she says families are slowly making their way back from the devastation of Hurricane Maria, her parents shrieked with joy when she passed along the news in a phone call.
Maria reveled knowing her success would feel like a triumph for the entire commonwealth. She will revel all next year seeing her flag fly among the LPGA’s flags. – Randall Mell
Woods: 'It’s been really nice' to finally be healthy
NASSAU, Bahamas – The well wishes for Tiger Woods have poured in from all over the world and from all walks of life.
Tennis legend Rafa Nadal walked all 18 holes of the final round of the Hero World Challenge to support Woods. Michael Phelps, Mike Trout, Niall Horan, Carson Daly are just some of the names from outside golf who have sent messages on social media. Inside the game, anyone you can imagine has done the same.
It hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“I think it’s very flattering, very humbling that so many people really enjoyed what I’ve done throughout my first 20 years on Tour,” Woods said earlier in the week. “I put a few smiled and a few excitements into people’s lives, and as an athlete it’s very humbling.”
Hero World Challenge: Articles, photos and video
Full-field scores from the Hero World Challenge
There was a time when Woods didn’t know if he’d ever play again. As recently as September, at the Presidents Cup, Woods said he couldn’t hit anything more than 60 yards and made it sound like his playing future was extremely uncertain.
In an interview with NBC Sports during the final holes of the Hero World Challenge at Albany, Woods explained the difference between being stuck at home with an ailing back and being back out on the golf course.
“When I was struggling with my back, the world seemed very small,” Woods said. “Day-to-day stuff was very difficult for me to do. Now I’m able to sit back and enjoy it a little bit, talk to more people, go out to more dinners and it’s been really nice."
Puerto Rico's Torres claims last of 20 LPGA cards
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – There’s no setting in golf as emotional as the final day of the final stage of Q-School.
There’s more joy in the player ranks than you’ll see in a major championship, because it is spread so much deeper in the field.
Maria Torres finished 20th Sunday at LPGA International and couldn’t have been more thrilled if she won the event.
“I am kind of in shock,” Torres said. “I feel like I am in a dream or something.”
Everyone among the top 20 at Sunday’s end walked away a winner, with each of them claiming full membership to play the LPGA next season.
Torres survived a three-way playoff to claim that last spot, but it is what she survived almost three months ago that made it so much more satisfying.
Torres huddled with her family in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in September as Hurricane Maria’s 155 mph winds thrashed their second-floor apartment. There was no running water for two days after, no air conditioning for a week.
A University of Florida graduate last spring, Torres shed her amateur status before Sunday’s playoff, turning pro so she could accept tour membership after signing her scorecard. She is the first player from Puerto Rico to earn an LPGA tour card.
Torres called home to Puerto Rico after defeating Daniela Darquea and Mind Muangkhumsakul in the playoff.
“I won the tournament, Mommy,” Torres said.
There was a pause, while Torres’ mother, Lisandra, relayed the news to Maria’s father, Jose.
“And then they were screaming,” Torres said.
With Puerto Rico on her mind, with a chance to make her commonwealth proud, Torres said the final round was especially challenging. She started the day tied for ninth and then five-putted the third hole, turning a birdie chance there into a triple bogey. She persevered, making birdies at three of the next five holes and shooting 74.
“You have all these emotions, and sometimes you don’t know how to control them, but, thankfully, it worked out,” Torres said.
For every player who claimed full or conditional LPGA status this week, there were almost three who didn’t.
That makes for more tears at the final stage of Q-School than any other tournament.
One player after another left the scoring tent late Sunday afternoon wiping their eyes.
Failure at the final stage of Q-School can feel like the weight of a lost year, because that’s how long it will likely take players to get another chance to make it to the LPGA.
There was extra weight to this year’s Q-School failure, because final stage is being overhauled. It will be so much more difficult for some of these players to work their way back to final stage next year.
This year, 82 players advanced to final stage from second stage. Next year, only 20 to 30 will advance, with a new Q-Series in effect as the final stage. Next year, players who finish 101st-150th on the LPGA money list, 11th-30th on the Symetra Tour money list and 1st-5th on the Golfweek Sagarin/college rankings will join as many as 10 players from the top 75 in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings at second stage. They’ll play for 40 to 50 tour cards over eight rounds.
Count Nasa Hataoka, Georgia Hall and Rebecca Artis among the happiest here Sunday.
Hataoka won the Q-School finals, closing with a 71 on the Hills Course to finish at 12-under overall, one shot better than Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan (71) and three better than South Africa’s Paula Reto (71).
Hall, 21, the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit leader this season, dug herself out of a big hole after opening the week with a 77. The Englishwoman rallied with rounds of 69-67-69-72 to tie for seventh.
“It was a horrendous start, but I’m very glad I came back,” Hall, 21, said. “It was definitely under pressure. I don’t want to do tour school again. Once is enough.”
Artis, 29, a two-time Ladies European Tour winner, reveled in making it through Q-School in her fifth attempt. She closed with a 71 to finish solo fourth.
“Q-School is always such a hard week,” Artis said. “Being here five times, of course it makes it much sweeter.”
Artis’ husband, Geoff, is also her caddie. He has been on her bag for seven of the last eight years.
“In the third or fourth year, we decided I would get another full-time caddie and he would get another full-time bag,” Artis said. “But I hated every bit of it.”
Artis’ father, Keith, made the trip from their home in Coonabarabran in Australia and walked with her this week. Her mother, Roslyn, followed online back home, where she kept the family bakery up and running.
Gavin Coles, a family friend and former PGA Tour pro who shares a teacher with Artis (Gary Edwin), helped her on the range all week.
“Gavin is Gary’s eyes when I’m over here,” Artis said.
Artis said all the hard work she and Geoff put into getting ready for the week would require a couple celebrations, one in Florida, and another when they return to Coonbarabran, where she also has four brothers waiting for her.
“We will all celebrate when we get home, don’t you worry about that,” Artis said.
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