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Crowds cheer as Tiger Woods returns to professional golf in Ohio
(CNN) -- Crowds cheered golfer Tiger Woods as he returned to the PGA Tour Thursday after a three-month hiatus to recuperate from knee and Achilles tendon injuries.
Woods teed off Thursday afternoon at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio. His first shot soared to the right and into a bunker, but he was able to putt for a par on his first hole.
Though Woods has won this event a record seven times, this time he will be without his longtime caddie, Steve Williams.
Woods announced in July that he would no longer be working with Williams, severing their 12-year relationship.
Asked about the firing -- amid reports Williams said he felt he'd wasted the past two years of his life -- Woods responded that he had "felt it was time for a change."
He and Williams had had "an amazing run," Woods said. "He's a hell of a caddie, there's no denying that. He's helped my career and I think I've helped his as well.
"We've had a great partnership for 12 years, won a bunch of tournaments, but I just felt it was time to change things up a little."
Woods' friend Bryon Bell will now be caddying for him.
Speaking to reporters after a practice round Tuesday, Woods said he was feeling the fittest he had in "years" and was experiencing no ill effects after surgery on his left leg.
"It feels solid, it feels stable, no pain," he said. "That's one of the reasons why I took as long as I did to come back is that I want to get to this point where I can go ahead and start playing golf again like this."
"It's been a very long time, and it feels good to go out there today and hit balls like this, go practice and feel nothing and walk around and pretty much do anything I want on the golf course."
Woods withdrew from the Players Championship in May because of the injury to his left knee and a strained Achilles tendon. He missed the U.S. Open in June and the British Open in July because of his injuries.
Woods has won 71 PGA events in his career, including 14 major championships, but hasn't won a tournament since he took a break from the game after revelations about his private life emerged. His last PGA Tour victory came in the 2009 BMW Championship in September 2009.
Woods and Elin Nordegren, his wife of six years, divorced in August 2010 after reports emerged of his having extramarital affairs and he admitted to transgressions in his private life.
(CNN) -- Crowds cheered golfer Tiger Woods as he returned to the PGA Tour Thursday after a three-month hiatus to recuperate from knee and Achilles tendon injuries.
Woods teed off Thursday afternoon at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio. His first shot soared to the right and into a bunker, but he was able to putt for a par on his first hole.
Though Woods has won this event a record seven times, this time he will be without his longtime caddie, Steve Williams.
Woods announced in July that he would no longer be working with Williams, severing their 12-year relationship.
Asked about the firing -- amid reports Williams said he felt he'd wasted the past two years of his life -- Woods responded that he had "felt it was time for a change."
He and Williams had had "an amazing run," Woods said. "He's a hell of a caddie, there's no denying that. He's helped my career and I think I've helped his as well.
"We've had a great partnership for 12 years, won a bunch of tournaments, but I just felt it was time to change things up a little."
Woods' friend Bryon Bell will now be caddying for him.
Speaking to reporters after a practice round Tuesday, Woods said he was feeling the fittest he had in "years" and was experiencing no ill effects after surgery on his left leg.
"It feels solid, it feels stable, no pain," he said. "That's one of the reasons why I took as long as I did to come back is that I want to get to this point where I can go ahead and start playing golf again like this."
"It's been a very long time, and it feels good to go out there today and hit balls like this, go practice and feel nothing and walk around and pretty much do anything I want on the golf course."
Woods withdrew from the Players Championship in May because of the injury to his left knee and a strained Achilles tendon. He missed the U.S. Open in June and the British Open in July because of his injuries.
Woods has won 71 PGA events in his career, including 14 major championships, but hasn't won a tournament since he took a break from the game after revelations about his private life emerged. His last PGA Tour victory came in the 2009 BMW Championship in September 2009.
Woods and Elin Nordegren, his wife of six years, divorced in August 2010 after reports emerged of his having extramarital affairs and he admitted to transgressions in his private life.
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