New video of Tiger Woods swinging club at Nexus Cup sparks hope - Golfweek
Tiger Woods has put his latest legal troubles behind him, and a newly released video showing the 50-year-old swinging a golf club has reignited speculation about whether the 15-time major champion could still return to competitive golf.
Woods' foundation is hosting its annual Nexus Cup charity event this week at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, an appearance that is expected to draw significant attention as fans continue to speculate about his playing future.
Earlier this month, Woods resolved the legal case stemming from his March rollover crash in Martin County, Florida. The golf legend accepted a plea agreement that reduced his DUI charge, pleading no contest to willful reckless driving and refusal to submit to a lawful test. As part of the agreement, Woods received a five-year suspension of his driver's license.
With the courtroom proceedings now behind him, attention has shifted back to Woods' health and playing future. A newly released video showing Woods swinging a golf club has given fans their most encouraging glimpse yet of his recovery. While the brief footage doesn't indicate how close he may be to tournament competition, it's certainly a notable step for a player who has spent much of the year rehabbing from surgery.
Before the March accident, Woods had been working toward another comeback and expressed optimism about potentially returning to competition. He had targeted a return to tournament golf and hoped to build toward the season's major championships before the crash abruptly halted those plans.
The sight of Woods making a full golf swing is certain to fuel fresh debate about whether one of the sport's most resilient competitors can once again make it back to the PGA Tour.
For now, there is no official timetable for his return, but the combination of his legal case reaching a conclusion and new evidence of progress in his recovery has renewed hope that Woods' playing career may not be finished just yet.
Tim Schmitt is the editor of Golfweek magazine and the golf coordinator for the USA Today Network.
