Tiger Woods allays injury concerns ahead of PGA Tour return

The 14-time major winner will play for the first time since March at this week's Quicken Loans National at Congressional.

Woods had a microdiscectomy on March 31 to alleviate pain for a pinched nerve that had been bothering him for several months.

Yet, despite returning ahead of schedule, the 38-year-old does not believe he is taking any undue risk.

"I healed extremely fast," he told the PGA Tour website. "I'm going to get stronger as time goes on, but the risk (of injury) is minimal."

Should Woods, a two-time winner of the Quicken Loans National, come through his first appearance in three months, he will be confident of challenging at The Open Championship next month.

Woods' last Open triumph came at Hoylake - the venue for this year's event - in 2006.