Tiger Woods made his return to a golf course this week as the icon of the sport continues rehabbing an Achilles injury earlier this year.
Woods was spotted riding around in a golf cart at BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida on Thursday afternoon.
He was there not to play himself, but to watch along as his son Charlie competed in the Florida State Golf Association’s 108th Amateur Championship.
Woods was seen in the gallery along with a posse of people decked out in hats from his Sun Day Red brand.
Not included in that group is his new flame, Vanessa Trump, who Woods only began dating in the past few months.
While he didn’t take any clubs out for himself, Woods did get around without appearing to wear a boot or a cast on his left leg – a possible sign of further healing.
Tiger Woods was spotted out in a golf cart as he watched son Charlie Woods on Thursday
Tiger watched as Charlie competed in Florida’s 108th Amateur Golf Championship
Woods was seen without a walking boot or cast, surrounded by a posse of people
Woods’ absence from playing has led to a precipitous fall down the Official World Golf Rankings. At the end of April, Woods hit a career low with a rank of 1,341.
Now, Woods is sitting with a ranking of 1,460. Compared to his ranking at the end of 2023, he’s fallen a stunning 336 places in the standings.
The 15-time major winner has been absent from the game since March, during his preparation for the Masters in April.
‘As I began to ramp up my own training and practice at home, I felt a sharp pain in my left Achilles, which was deemed to be ruptured,’ he posted on X at the time.
‘This morning, Dr. Charlton Stucken of Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Florida performed a minimally-invasive Achilles tendon repair for a ruptured tendon.
‘”The surgery went smoothly, and we expect a full recovery,” added Dr. Stucken.
‘I am back home now and plan to focus on my recovery and rehab, thank you for all the support.’
The injury came just a few weeks after the death of Woods’ mother, Kultida, in February.
Not included in that group was new flame Vanessa Trump, who he went public with in April
Woods (seen in 2019) met with President Trump recently after a trip to Saudi Arabia
While Woods was still recovering from his surgery, the Florida native went public with the revelation that he was dating Vanessa Trump, the ex-wife of Donald Trump Jr.
That announcement came 10 days after DailyMail.com exclusively broke the news that the golf icon was dating Donald Trump Jr.’s ex-wife.
Alongside two pictures of the loved-up couple, Woods wrote: ‘Love is in the air and life is better with you by my side! We look forward to our journey through life together.
‘At this time we would appreciate privacy for all those close to our hearts.’
That’s not Woods’ only connection to the Trump family, with the golfer keeping President Donald Trump as a friend.
Last month, Woods made another visit to the White House in his capacity as a player director for the policy board of the PGA Tour.
It followed the President’s trip to Saudi Arabia, the nation whose foreign investment fund is bankrolling the LIV Golf circuit.
Woods has made appearances since Trump’s second inauguration in an attempt to aid a merger between LIV and the PGA Tour.
Charlie (seen above at the 2024 US Junior Amateur) is middle-of-the-pack in the tournament
As for Charlie’s performance, he shot a two-over 74 for the round – putting him tied for 39th going into the second round and eight shots back of the leaders.
Charlie is competing in his first event since a maiden win on the AJGA circuit with his victory at the Team TaylorMade Invitational in Florida after a six-under-par final round at Streamsong Resort.
He beat some of the finest prospects in golf, including four of the top five players in the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) rankings.
Woods Jr. is ranked No 606 and the Team TaylorMade Invitational was just his fifth AJGA event. His previous best finish was a tie for 25th.
But he finished three shots clear at the top of the leaderboard in Florida to join the winners’ circle – and reach a major milestone as he bids to follow in the footsteps of his father.
