Tiger Woods odds include sad props on whether he’ll withdraw and retire before he wins

Tiger Woods, for the second time in two months, has the golf world in his thrall as he makes his much-anticipated return to competition. Not even the most ardent Woods followers know what to expect when (if?) the 14-time major winner makes it to the first tee on Thursday for his first competitive swing in some 15 months, but if you believe his time on the PGA Tour is almost up, why not put your money on that hunch?

Woods’ latest comeback at the Hero World Challenge — assuming he does not withdraw ahead of time, as he did before October’s Safeway Open three days after committing to play in that event — sparked a number of Woods-related betting choices from several oddsmakers around the globe. Indeed, about the only preference unavailable is whether the 898th-ranked golfer in the world actually, and finally, revives his playing career this week.

While the Costa Rica-based bookmaker.eu offers +230 odds that Woods will withdraw from the limited-field, no-cut tournament, perhaps the most intriguing option involving the nearly 40-year-old superstar with 79 tour wins is whether he will announce his retirement some time next year. The +385 odds on Woods, who will be 41 next month, calling it quits before Jan. 1, 2018, means you would win $385 on a $100 bet.

If all goes well in the next couple of days, Woods will make the World Challenge his first start since finishing tied for 10th at the 2015 Wyndham Championship and then undergoing two back procedures. He unexpectedly scrapped plans to come back at the Safeway, so anything can happen between now and Thursday.

Assuming Woods does take his place as the marquee player among 17 other elite golfers in the Bahamas (and he said on Tuesday his goal, as always, was to win), here are some ways to bet on Woods going forward:

Just a couple years ago, these kind of propositions about scores in the 70s, withdrawals, and retirement would seem like lunacy. But it’s fallen so fast for Woods and it’s hard to have much faith at this point. From here on out, it seems like he’ll always be walking a tightrope and one bad swing and injury away from it all ending.

The issues have been both mental and physical, as we saw just a couple months ago when he said his game was too “vulnerable” for his initial return at the Safeway Open.

As for odds to win, well, Woods’ got the longest in the loaded 18-man field. He’s 40-1 at Jeff Sherman’s golfodds.com and the WestGate SuperBook, and rightly so.

ODDS to Win:

Dustin Johnson - 5/1

Jordan Spieth - 6/1

Hideki Matsuyama - 13/2

Henrik Stenson - 10/1

Brooks Koepka - 10/1

Patrick Reed - 12/1

Bubba Watson - 15/1

Rickie Fowler - 15/1

Justin Rose - 15/1

Matt Kuchar - 20/1

Russell Knox - 20/1

Emiliano Grillo - 25/1

Louis Oosthuizen - 25/1

Brandt Snedeker - 25/1

Jimmy Walker - 30/1

Zach Johnson - 30/1

J.B. Holmes - 30/1

Tiger Woods - 40/1