Global Golf Injury Report: Tiger Woods Resumes Swinging as Schenk and Smylie Return to Action

Tiger Woods is swinging a golf club again. Six months after a devastating car crash and a grueling legal saga, the 50-year-old icon was spotted hitting balls at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey on Tuesday, marking his first public golf activity since March.[1][2][3][6]

The 15-time major champion was on site to host a clinic ahead of the Nexus Cup, an exclusive amateur team event—limited to just 18 foursomes—that benefits his TGR Foundation. When pressed by the crowd about the state of his game, Woods offered a characteristically brief but loaded assessment: "I can hit pretty much anything."[1]

For a sport that has spent the better part of a year wondering if it had seen the last of its biggest draw, the footage was a jolt of electricity. Woods's 2026 has been punishing. Following a disk replacement surgery in October 2025, he was involved in a rollover crash on Jupiter Island on March 27.[1][2]

That incident led to a DUI arrest, which was finally resolved on September 2 when Woods pleaded no contest to reckless driving. He accepted a five-year driving suspension and a $1,000 fine, closing a dark chapter that had kept him entirely away from the public eye.[1][3]

While Woods has not committed to a competitive timetable—his last professional start remains the 2024 Open Championship—his presence on the range changes the atmospheric pressure of the golf world. He admitted to being "a little stiff today" after socializing the night before, but the sheer mechanics of him hitting a wide range of shots proves the physical baseline is returning.[1][2]

Woods isn't the only notable name making moves on the injury front this week. As the PGA Tour's FedExCup Fall series kicks off, the scramble for 2027 tour cards is forcing players to test their physical limits.[4]

Adam Schenk is officially listed in the field for the Biltmore Championship in Asheville, North Carolina, making a high-stakes return from a lingering back injury. Schenk's presence in the field is a critical step as he looks to solidify his standing before the season closes.[4]

Across the Atlantic, the DP World Tour is navigating its own wave of returns and setbacks ahead of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. Australian standout Elvis Smylie is set to tee it up after recovering from a rib injury that sidelined him for several weeks, injecting fresh momentum into his late-season push.[4]

However, the Wentworth field lost a massive celebrity draw on Wednesday. Formula 1 star Lando Norris, who was scheduled to play in the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am alongside European Ryder Cup veterans, was forced to abruptly withdraw due to a back injury.[5]

"I'm not playing. I've got a bad back. I'm getting old," the 26-year-old McLaren driver joked to five-time major winner Brooks Koepka on the driving range. Norris's withdrawal comes just days after a grueling 3rd-place podium finish at the Spanish Grand Prix.[5]

Despite the setback on the golf course, Norris assured the paddock he expects to be fully fit for the upcoming race in Azerbaijan. The timing of the virtual safety car in Madrid may have cost him a victory, but the back injury won't cost him his seat in the car.[5]

For the tour regulars grinding through the fall, the immediate focus is surviving the cutline and securing 2027 status before their bodies give out. But the gravity of the week belongs to Liberty National. Woods has two seasons to qualify for the PGA Tour's revamped 2028 structure, and Tuesday's range session is the first concrete proof that he intends to be there.[2]