Tiger Woods will be hoping to make waves when he returns to the PGA Tour, but his latest comeback is on hold due to his game being "vulnerable". David Cannon/Getty Images
Tiger Woods will be hoping to make waves when he returns to the PGA Tour, but his latest comeback is on hold due to his game being "vulnerable". David Cannon/Getty Images
It's the end of the 2015 Wyndham Championship. Tiger Woods has just birdied the 18th to finish the tournament in a share of tenth - his only top-10 finish for the year.
Amid speculation that he was carrying a back injury after clutching at it throughout the final round, Woodsonly offered the media a quick sound bite: "It was just my hip."
The man known purely as Tiger hasn't been sighted on the PGA Tour since.
It's been over a year since that final round 70 and just when we thought he was going to be back on the tee, Tiger has once again pulled the pin.
After saying he would play the Safeway Open this week, he has had a change of heart.
Rory McIlroy is part of the new breed of hugely talented golfers, but still doesn't have the draw card of a Tiger Woods. Photo/Photosport.nz
Tiger has been stuck on 14 major wins since 2008, four behind the 'Golden Bear' Jack Nicklaus. He has 79 PGA Tour wins, three behind the legendary Sam Snead.
He was utterly dominant in his prime. The power of his game is the stuff of legends.
One of the best stories is from a trip to a hidden mountain training facility east of San Diego, known as La Posta.
Tiger, who is enamoured with the Navy SEALs, was put through his paces at the base by SEALs instructor Ben Marshall. Marshall then asked him to sign his TaylorMade golf bag.
Given it was an opposing brand to his Nike, he politely declined. So Marshall challenged him to a driving contest for the signature, which Tiger accepted.
Marshall went first and drove about 270 yards. Tiger then addressed his ball.
He got down on his knees, swung the club like a baseball bat and crushed one out past Marshall's drive.
But post-2010 Tiger is a different animal. Through the bevy of injuries (he has had four surgeries on his left knee), the death of his father Earl and the off-field issues regarding his many infidelities and his obsession with the Navy SEALs, he has not been the same.
Former caddy Steve Williams and Tiger Woods had an unceremonious ending to their partnership. Jamie Squire/Getty Images
His swing has changed. His old caddy, Kiwi Steve Williams, has moved on. The man we saw cut opponents to shreds on the course hasn't been seen in years. He is currently ranked 786th in the world - a far cry from his record 281-week stint in pole position.
Despite this, he is still the biggest drawcard in the sport. The likes of Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth may be the alphas now, but they can't attract a crowd like Tiger.
So will he return? And if so, how good will he be?
He wants to return, but will only do so when he is ready. That won't be for this week's Safeway Open, or for November's Turkish Airlines Open, but it will be soon.
We probably can't expect a lot early on in his comeback until he shakes off the year of rust. Add on the fact that he has only won eight tournaments since 2009, and the odds of success skyrocket.
But he's only 41, still young enough to be victorious on the biggest stage.
Phil Mickelson won a major at 43. Tom Watson went to a playoff hole in 2009 at the tender age of 59. So if Tiger can get fully fit and firing, what's to stop him?
