Tiger Woods reportedly progressing in recovery from back surgery

Let the “Tiger Woods Watch” officially begin.

The former No. 1-ranked golfer, recovering from back surgery, returned to hitting full shots last weekend, according to a Golf Channel report.

Now comes speculation about when he will return to competition.

The Quicken Loans National later this month seems unrealistic. But the British Open looms in mid-July and, with Woods’ history of training and physical fitness, could be a possibility.

It was late March when Woods underwent a microdiscectomy for a pinched nerve that had been causing him pain for months. At the time, Woods announced only that he hoped to rejoin the PGA Tour “sometime this summer.”

His last competitive round was at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in early March. He missed the Masters and the U.S. Open.