Ending the 2011 with his first victory in two years, Tiger Woods says the joy of being able to play golf with a healthy body has returned, as well as his ability to win.
Tiger Woods hopes to kickstart the year of 2012 with a victory in the Abu Dhabi Championship which starts on January 26.
Ahead of his first tournament of the year, Woods said that he has fully recovered from the leg injuries that ruined much of last season, and that he hopes his recent win at the Chevron was ‘the start of another great run’.
The former world no. 1, will begin taking on a world-class field in his first Abu Dhabi Championship, where the lineup includes U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy, world No 1 Luke Donald and defending champion Martin Kaymer.
The tournament should indicate whether he can maintain the standard that earned him the Chevron title last month, his first victory in two years since revelations of extramarital affairs derailed his marriage and career in 2009.
He acknowledged, however, that reclaiming the No1 ranking he held for so long might be difficult. After falling out of the top 50 for a brief period last year, Woods is now ranked 23rd.
“There are so many great players in the game right now,” Woods said. “Rory and Luke are both very talented golfers and I admire what they have achieved in the last year.”
Donald made history this year by winning the money titles on both sides of the Atlantic, while McIlroy’s dominant performance at the U.S. Open drew comparisons to Woods in his prime.
