World No. 1 Woods expected to make a summer comeback

Tiger Woods is targeting a return to competitive golf this summer with his rumoured comeback pencilled in for the Open Championship at Hoylake.

The world number one has not featured since the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March and has since had surgery on a pinched nerve in his back.

But the American can be expected back on the golf course this summer after his agent, Mark Steinberg, revealed his client was focused on a summer return.

“I don’t know when he will be playing but I expect it to be this summer,” Steinberg said.

“This is about the next 10 or 15 years, not about the next 10 weeks.

“He’s doing a little bit more and more each day but this is not about targeting any specific tournament,” Woods’ representative added.

“If he needs to wait one or two or three extra weeks he will, he’s thinking about this very, very long term.”

Woods is still four Major titles behind Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 and he will be desperate to return to form quickly in his bid to close the gap on “The Golden Bear”.

Tiger’s earliest opportunity of picking up a 15th Major title could come at the US Open, which is being held at Pinehurst in North Carolina this year.

But with the second major of the season starting on June 12th a more realistic aim for the 38-year-old could be a challenge at this year’s Open Championship at Hoylake.

Woods, whose last major win was at the 2008 US Open, has fond memories of the Merseyside links venue after capturing the last of his Claret Jugs back in 2006.

Ladbrokes make the three-time Open champion the 7/1 early favourite to pick up a fourth title, while he is 10/1 to make an earlier than expected return and claim a fourth US Open.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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