JORDAN SPIETH DOES not know what to expect of Tiger Woods upon his return to golf and feels that adds to the excitement factor in the sport in 2018.
Woods, a 14-time major winner, came back from an eight-month lay-off with back problems to play at the Hero World Challenge in December.
The former world number one placed ninth in the Bahamas and is keen to play a full schedule this year.
With Woods returning, an impending battle to displace Dustin Johnson at the top of the rankings and a host of emerging talent coming through, Spieth is anticipating a great year for golf.
“I think this year, the unknowns are very exciting right now,” Spieth said at a media conference on Tuesday ahead of the Tournament on Champions.
“I think with the amount of depth and talent at a younger age mixed with the guys in their 30s that are playing number one in the world, DJ…some other phenomenal players that you would call maybe in prime.
“And then the major question is what’s it going to be like with Tiger coming back. So I think 2018, these unknowns are extremely exciting starting out and within the next six months it’s a pretty special time to be a part of professional golf.
“I think Tiger’s return and the excitement based on how he looked [at the Hero World Challenge] is probably first and foremost.
“I think realistically I can say based on what it does for ratings, what it does for maybe a non-golfer’s interest in golf, it’s got to be at the forefront of the excitement. I can say that, even given what I was mentioning before with a lot of younger players and maybe more of the ‘knowns’.
“You know that there’s going to be young talent spread out and excitement because of that and depth. And with Tiger we just don’t exactly know what it’s going to bring.
“But I think because of the way that the Hero went and the confidence that he’s talking with, the place that he’s at in life right now, I think he’s in the best position he’s been in in a few years to come back and be a regular out here competing. So that I would call the forefront of the excitement in golf right now.”
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