Golf will benefit from return of Tiger Woods, Jason Dufner

Golf is looking a little healthier.

A day after multiple reports had Tiger Woods hitting full shots on the range, Jason Dufner talked about his return to competition after sitting out for months with persistent neck pain.

“Some days I feel a little bit better than others,” Dufner told reporters before the Perth International on Tuesday. “I’ve been able to kind of practice and play a little bit back home for about 2 1/2 weeks now, so I feel pretty good right now.”

The 37-year-old withdrew from the PGA Championship in early August after 10 holes. Detaching himself from the game for a while, he did not even watch the recent Ryder Cup on television.

Now, the Australian tournament will serve as a test case for his comeback.

“I feel like it was worth coming over here and giving it a go,” he said. “We’ll see. That’ll be the thing, how [I feel] the day after playing competitive rounds.”

Woods also stopped competing at the PGA Championship after experiencing setbacks in his recovery from back surgery in the spring.

The former No. 1 player is expected to play in the Hero World Challenge, an annual fundraiser for his Tiger Woods Foundation, in early December.