Tiger is back so what does that mean for golf fans?

Tiger Woods ended an 11-week absence from the PGA Tour Thursday night with the surprising announcement that he would play next week at the W.G.C.-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club.


It is not surprising that Woods would return to a golf course where he has won seven times. What is surprising is that he is coming back to the golf course where his most recent memory is of playing probably the worst 72 holes of his professional career — shooting 18 over par and finishing 78th in the 80-man field last year.


Then there are the other uncertainties. How much has he been able to strengthen the two injuries — a strained medial collateral ligament in his left knee and the strained Achilles’ tendon that was previously torn — that have kept him out of action since May 12?


And how much work has he done on his game to prepare for Firestone’s bowling-alley fairways? None to speak of, according to his swing coach, Sean Foley, on CBSsports.com on Wednesday. Foley was confirming as much in text messages to friends late Thursday night, saying he and Woods would be getting back to work Friday for the first time since May.


There is still the uncertainty about how Woods will fare without the familiar figure of Steve Williams on the bag. Williams, who caddied for Woods for 13 years and 13 of Woods’s 14 major championship wins, was fired last month during the AT&T National, ending one of golf’s most successful player-caddie relationships.


He's shed the weight of a couple of swing coaches, a swing, a caddie, a No. 1 ranking and a marketing agency. He has not won in 20 months but has seven career victories at Firestone.


But he's got his health and that means he's got everything.


The knee and Achilles injuries that sidelined him for 11 weeks seem to have healed enough for him to return to competition. He's scheduled to work with swing coach Sean Foley today.


Now ranked No. 21, Woods tweeted that he's "feeling fit and ready to tee it up at Firestone next week. Excited to get back out there!"


The Golf Channel is reporting the Bryon Bell, a childhood friend of the golfer, will replace Steve Williams as caddie. Bell, president of Tiger Woods design has toted Woods clubs three other times.


Woods' agent Mark Steinberg e-mailed USA TODAY to say "no long-term caddie has been discussed with Tiger as of yet."


Tiger is ready to return. What will that mean for us and golf?