WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. - The world's most-polarizing golfer might be ready to break out of a season-long funk at the Greenbrier Classic.
Declaring that he's "pain free" and that he "absolutely" can win at the Old White TPC, Tiger Woods and the field of 156 players will tee off at the par 70, 7,287-yard course at the Greenbrier resort on Thursday.
Woods, three Classic champions - Angel Cabrera (2014), Jonas Blixt (2013) and Scott Stallings (2011) - and last week's Travelers' champion Bubba Watson are among the golfers in the 156-player field who will be on hand for the sixth edition of the tournament.
Inaugural Classic winner Stuart Appleby, whose final-round 59 was the catalyst for his title; and 2012 winner Ted Potter Jr., whose first career victory came at the Old White in 2011, aren't participating. Appleby had surgery for a herniated disc and is out indefinitely, while Potter hasn't played in a Tour event since breaking his ankle from slipping on a curb last August.
As for the rest of the field, the conditions will be altered somewhat after the fairways have been softened and greens slowed thanks to heavy rains that pummeled the Greenbrier Valley on Tuesday night. Showers were in the forecast for late Wednesday night, while a 60-percent chance of scattered thundershowers are expected on Thursday.
"Right now, as soft as it is and with the forecast the way it's going to be with rain coming in, we're just going to have to make a bunch of birdies," Woods said. "Just keep the pedal down and be aggressive. That's just the way it's going to work out this week."
The 39-year-old is second on the all-time list for PGA Tour victories (79), trailing only former Greenbrier pro emeritus Sam Snead (82). Still, Woods hasn't won any Tour events since 2013 when he claimed five. He has played in just 13 since, because of a variety of knee, wrist and back injuries.
A 16-over 156 in the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay was his second missed cut in six events this season. Woods has missed four cuts and has withdrawn three times since 2013. He said he "wasn't that far" away at the Open, but acknowledged his struggles.
"I've gone through stretches like this," said Woods, who made $8,553,439 two years ago, the fifth-highest total of his career. "If you look at what I did through the end of '97 and all of '98, it wasn't very good. I had some top 10s in there, but I wasn't really contending to win tournaments. I was trying to make cuts, but '99 turned out OK and so did 2000."
Woods spoke of 15 years ago before he became a fixture on the PGA Tour and hadn't had his first $3 million season.
The best stretch of his decorated career was 2005-09 when Woods was at his steadiest. He won 31 times and had three seasons (2005, '07, '09) when he made more than $10 million.
When he played in the Greenbrier Classic in 2012, Woods shot an even-par 140 after two rounds, which left him one stroke short of making the cut.
"This is my first time here since I missed the cut," Woods said, smiling. "The golf course is in great shape. It's a little bit faster than the last time we played."
Since he left Chambers Bay on June 19, Woods put down the golf clubs and picked up a fishing reel and underwater gear.
"I didn't touch a club for a while," he said. "I took my kids down to Albany (resort on New Providence in the Bahamas) and was diving in the water every day, all day, pretty much. It was nice to have a summer break with them like that, especially after the way I played. We did some snorkeling."
Crowds welcomed him back during Wednesday's Pro-Am, crowding the No. 18 tee as Woods prepared to conclude his round.
He repaired his short game and continued to face criticism for the alterations to his shot.
"I made a little bit of progress since the last time I played," Woods said. "That's obviously not saying much. I'm really looking forward to competing out there and playing.
"I don't have back pain, and it's been a long time. Obviously, you're going to have (nagging) injuries here and there. That's just the way it is. The main thing is my back is feeling good."
Contact Assistant Sports Editor Rich Stevens at richstevens@dailymailwv.com or 304-348-4837. Follow him on Twitter @richdailymail.