NASSAU, Bahamas -- If there was any trepidation about hitting full, powerful shots or spending too much time doing so, Tiger Woods wasnt letting on Sunday afternoon as the wind whipped across the driving range at Albany Golf Club -- where he was the only player practicing.With his return to competitive golf after a 15-month absence looming this week at the Hero World Challenge, Woods was busy testing equipment -- and looking pretty good doing so.Im not dead, he quipped. Woods, 40, arrived in the Bahamas on Saturday and played nine holes, then spent some two-and-half hours Sunday on the driving range and in a testing center using a device called TrackMan to gauge various distances and launch angles -- a process he said is more daunting now that his longtime sponsor, Nike, is no longer making golf clubs, and Woods has an array of choices.So many manufacturers sent Woods clubs to try that my head was spinning. For now, he is sticking with his Nike irons and experimenting with various woods -- it was a TaylorMade driver, 3-wood and 5-wood and Sunday -- and he dropped a bit of news when he said hes using a Bridgestone golf ball this week.?The most important thing is the ball, he said. Once you find a ball, then you can work around everything else. The ball is No. 1. The most important club in the bag is the ball.Woods had no trouble carrying drives over 300 yards, shaping shots in both directions with his various clubs while showing no pangs of discomfort. Of course, its Sunday, not the opening round on Thursday of an otherwise low-key, 18-player tournament that benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. Its a year-ending cash grab for many stars of the game, and how they fare here is of little consequence. There are world ranking points at stake, and a $3.5 million purse with $1 million going to the winner.But for Woods -- who in his absence has slipped to 879th in the world -- this is a big deal. The 14-time major champion has not competed since August 2015 at the Wyndham Championship, where he tied for 10th. Earlier he had missed cuts in three consecutive major championships. And he would later undergo two back procedures that forced him to the sideline, causing all kind of speculation about his future in the game.According to the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, Woods has the worst odds to win the tournament, at 40-1, of anyone in the 18-person field.Woods admitted he will be nervous.But Im nervous for every tournament I play in, whether its after a layoff, or six in a row, or a major, he said. I care. If I care, Im nervous. And its good to be that way. To have that nervous energy and channel it into aggression, into focus, concentration, thats good stuff. If I wasnt nervous, that would mean I didnt care. I dont want to be out there flat.Woods said he understands the thinking that he shouldnt care, that just being back after an extended absence is enough.I get that, and that part is great too, he said. Im out here playing and competing. That part is really neat. Then there is that part of me that is the competitor who wants to beat these guys. I want to compete.Some seven weeks ago, Woods announced he was not ready to do that. He at first committed to the Safeway Open in California, then three days before the tournament decided to pull out because he described his game as vulnerable and not ready to compete against the best in the world. That set off a new wave of doubts about his game and his future, and while Woods said he badly wanted to play that week, it was a good decision in the end. The competitor inside me wanted to go so badly and was itching to go. I had been playing at home. I thought only if I have a few shots, its good enough to get it around. I had played feeling worse. But whats the point in rushing back when Ive waited over a year to begin with?Ive waited this long, its not going to hurt to wait just this much longer.Woods caddie, Joe LaCava, who was walking the Albany course on Sunday, twice went to Florida to work with Woods since the Safeway withdrawal, mostly to get Woods in tournament mode and off a golf cart. His instructor, Chris Como, has also been there. Two weeks ago, Woods and LaCava played rounds on four consecutive days, walking -- which seems simple enough until Woods explains he had not been doing that enough.Its weird to say, but I have to get my walking legs, he said. Its a 5-mile walk. You forget what it feels like to be in golf shoes versus tennis shoes. To be on an uneven lie versus a flat lie. I can walk for two or three hours on a treadmill and its not the same as walking on a golf course. Its so different, the standing around (between shots).The rhythm of playing in a golf cart versus walking and playing. I had forgotten that because I had been away for over a year. Joey really helped me ... normal tournament talk, I had to get used to that again.This is a big week for Woods every year. The event began in 1999 at the urging of his late father, Earl, and is a big fundraiser for his foundation. There are numerous sponsor obligations -- Hero has one more year on its deal after the 2016 event -- as well as all the attention his game is going to receive.Im ready to go, he said. Montez Sweat Youth Jersey .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win. Alex Smith Jersey . A forerunning sled crashed into the worker Thursday at the Sanki Sliding Center. The unidentified worker broke both legs and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. http://www.redskinsfansproshop.com/ . Mitch Holmberg added a goal and three assists. Connor Chartier also scored for the Chiefs (3-0-0). Luke Harrison spoiled Garrett Hughsons shutout bid with a power-play goal at 13:17 of the third period. The Spokane goaltender finished with 28 saves, including a Brandon Fushimi penalty shot in the second period that would have tied the game 1-1. Darrell Green Womens Jersey . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Joe Theismann Redskins Jersey . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. Cam Newton has a concussion and Carson Palmer is being evaluated for one with the next game coming up quickly.Those are just the latest problems for the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals, both with 1/3 records after playing in the NFC championship game last season.It seemed possible -- even likely -- they would meet again for a Super Bowl berth that Carolina claimed a season ago. Until the Panthers actually played without cornerback Josh Norman and Newton started getting knocked around. Or until the Cardinals opened the season with a home loss to the Tom Brady-less New England Patriots.Now both star quarterbacks are dealing with head injuries.The Panthers confirmed Newtons concussion after a helmet-to-helmet hit at the goal line on his successful 2-point conversion run in a 48-33 loss to Atlanta on Sunday. The Cardinals would only say Palmer was in concussion protocol, but coach Bruce Arians said he doubts the 36-year-old will play Thursday night at San Francisco.Arizona lost to Los Angeles 17-13 , and the surprising Rams are tied with Seattle for the NFC West lead. The Cardinals are at the bottom with San Francisco, and Carolina is in a three-way tie for last with New Orleans and Tampa Bay in the NFC South. The Buccaneers visit the Panthers next Monday night.The Panthers had one of the most surprising personnel moves of the offseason when they pulled a franchise tag contract offer from Norman, immediately making him a free agent. He signed with Washington, and two other veteran defensive backs didnt return in Charles Tillman and Roman Harper.Rookies James Bradberry and Daryl Worley are among the replacements, and Carolina just became the first NFL team to allow a 500-yard passer and 300-yard receiver in the same game. Matt Ryan threw for 503 yards and Julio Jones had 300 yards receiving -- both team records .Bradberry drew most of the assignments on Jones that would have gone to Norman if the Panthers had re-signed him.They put the young corner on me man to man ... and Matt made some great decisions today, Jones said.Newtons decision to pull up near the goal line and take the hit from Falcons linebacker Deion Jones is likely to be questioned, particularly after last years NFL MVP took four helmet-to-helmet hits in an opening loss to the Super Bowl-winningg Broncos in a rematch.ddddddddddddAtlanta may have illustrated the best way to beat Carolina by limiting the NFLs No. 1 rushing offense (49 yards on 15 carries) while still making Newton uncomfortable at times in the pocket. He was less than efficient at 14 of 25 for 165 yards with a touchdown.In Newton misses any games, the Panthers will have to dig out of an early two-game game deficit in the division with 33-year-old backup Derek Anderson.Theres a pretty good chance the Atlanta loss offered a preview of what Anderson would bring -- a couple of touchdown passes, a chance for a late drive to tie but ultimately a second interception that was returned for a touchdown, ending Carolinas hopes.But its probably worth remembering 2014, when Carolina rallied from 3-8-1 with four straight victories to make the playoffs, even winning a wild-card game.Weve been in this situation before, and four games does not make a season, coach Ron Rivera said. Well start getting ready for Tampa Bay once we get this out of our system.The Cardinals had fourth-quarter leads in two of their losses, including against the Rams, and the last two weeks have been particularly discouraging. Buffalo was winless when it blew out Arizona a week ago.Aint nobody comfortable with this, linebacker Markus Golden said.When the Panthers rallied to make the playoffs in 2014, the Cardinals simply tried to survive after starting 8-1 before losing Palmer to a season-ending knee injury. They ended up 11-5 with Drew Stanton, who will take over again if Palmer is sidelined against the 49ers and beyond after hitting his head on the turf on a late sack.And the other quirk about that season: Arizona still made the playoffs as a wild card, losing to Newtons resurgent Panthers.Now the question is whether both clubs can rally this year.The sky is not falling for us, Arians said. Im sure it is for a bunch of the fans. I am as disappointed as they are, but we have a game Thursday night.Ryans Falcons -- and others in the NFC -- are sensing an opportunity.---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler ' ' '
