Tiger Woods says he does not know what to expect when he makes his first official return on the PGA Tour for a year in the Farmers Insurance Open.

Woods has won eight times at Torrey Pines, including his last major in the 2008 US Open, but missed the cut in this event 12 months ago.

In an exclusive interview on Skysports, Woods said ‘It’s all finished now, it’s fused and my quality of life is infinitely better than it was at this point last year,’

He withdrew after an opening 77 in the following week’s Dubai Desert Classic and sat out the rest of the year until returning from spinal fusion surgery with a tie for ninth in December’s 18-man Hero World Challenge.

‘I’ve got to start somewhere. I’ve got to get my game back. It’s been a long time, a full year since I’ve played on the tour.

‘I want to hit shots and grind out scores. I’ve been looking forward to it. I’ve missed going out with my buddies having some fun to play golf. I miss those days.

Nevertheless, Woods’ return should provoke excitement, and every time he comes back, we’re going to get a little carried away with it.

I think this comeback is different from the prior failed attempts. I think he’s going to win this year. But there needs to be some balance about this week.

When Woods’ career is over, we’ll just remember Torrey Pines for all the wins and a major title on an injured leg.

That’s probably appropriate, too. But the relationship has been a bit more complicated in recent years, and we seem to overlook that in the hype of another return.

This will be a tough test, and a missed cut seems like the most realistic outcome (as long as he looks healthy, that’s OK too).

So keep your guard up this week. That way, it will be tough to get disappointed and make his ninth win at Torrey come Sunday that much more staggering and enjoyable.