Golf Thanksgiving: Five things we’re thankful for from 2017

He’s back…again. In just one week, Tiger Woods will make his return to the PGA TOUR at the Hero World Challenge. Sure it’s an unofficial event, hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation and featuring just 18 players, but it’s competitive golf, and I’m not going to complain.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past several years, it’s that golf really doesn’t need Tiger the way we thought it always would. However, that doesn’t mean his impact on the game is lessened – it’s actually the opposite. So many of today’s young stars grew up in a golf world that already had Woods established on the game’s Mount Rushmore (alongside Palmer, Nicklaus, and Hogan…another story for another day).

Even though the Big Cat hasn’t won since 2013, and has been stuck on 14 majors since the 2008 U.S. Open, his presence is still felt every time he steps foot on a golf course. At the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, the galleries following Captain’s Assistant Woods were as big as any out there.

I recently said that we need to temper our expectations in Tiger’s return, and that’s still true. At 41 years old – 42 at the end of December – it’s impossible to predict what, if anything, Woods still has left in the tank. At his best, he’s got Player of the Year potential, and maybe even another major or two. However, his next injury may be the one that puts him on the shelf for good.

For now, though, we’re thankful that Tiger is back. Here’s hoping we get many more years, and no more comeback watches.