Tiger Woods posted a short video showing him hitting golf balls on a driving range on Sunday, nine months after the 15-time major champion suffered serious leg injuries that required surgery following a car crash in Southern California.
“Making progress,” Woods wrote in the caption to his Twitter post, which showed him wearing a compression sleeve on his right leg to improve blood flow. It marked the first time he has been seen swinging a club since the February accident.
The video will boost hopes that the 45-year-old American can return to competitive golf after the accident raised doubts about whether he could make another comeback. He previously had to take time out from the sport following a series of injury setbacks, including surgery on his back five times.
“We LOVE to see it!,” the U.S. Ryder Cup Team official Twitter account said in response to the video.
“Keep going @TigerWoods, we’re all cheering for you.”
While Woods’ future remains unclear, world No. 6 Justin Thomas said that there will be an attempt to get back on the golf course.
“I know that he’s going to try,” Thomas said on the No Laying Up podcast. “I don’t see him ever playing if he can’t play well. He doesn’t strike me as a guy who’s played at home and he’s shooting a bunch of 75s and 76s and he’s like, ‘OK, I’m gonna give Augusta a try this year.’
“That’s not really going to be him, at least from my understanding, what I know of him.”
This Reuters report includes additional reporting from Joe Pantorno
