Let's hope he's back. A bunch of guys (Spieth, DJ, Jason Day, Fowler among others) have elevated their games to fill the void and keep golf relevant and interesting but it would be better if Tiger could join the mix.
I dont think he will ever be relevant again in golf. His best days are over with. Earlier in his career he was longer than almost everyone which helped him dominate. Probably even more important than his driving and I think he didnt get enough credit for was his putting. He putted like Spieth does now......if there was a 10-15 foot putt that he needed....he would focus and drain it. There is not a physical reason for that drop off the cliff....it is as much mental. All of his other distractions along with the physical issues has resulted in him losing his persona of invincible. I kind of believe he was taking some sort of drugs to get bigger, stronger ect..... and with the injuries I think they have caught up to him.
If a measure of a golf superstar is score and wins.....he will never be a superstar again. He was great for the game but I never rooted for him. Glad I didn't because we all know he was a huge phony. Plus a known cheap ass.
its an 18 person field, i believe the other 17 are all ranked inside the top 32 in the world. Tiger was something like 1100 or something if i remember right. the field is stacked. johnson, thomas, rose, speith etc