Former world number one Tiger Woods is "making continual progress" from the back injury that has sidelined him from the past two Major tournaments.
The 38-year-old has not played since March after undergoing surgery to address nerve damage, so missed The Masters in April and last week's US Open.
However, a return in time for the Open Championship from July 17 to 20 at Hoylake, where he won in 2006, appears to be a possibility after the Golf Channel reported that he was stepping up his recovery and even taking full swings with a driver on the range.
Woods's agent Mark Steinberg did not confirm these rumours, but did speak positively on the 14-time Major winner's health when he told reporters: "Tiger is making continual progress. He feels better each day and [is able to] extend his swing as he moves forward."
United States Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson has already guaranteed Woods a wildcard pick for Gleneagles in September, should he be fit but having failed to attain enough points to qualify automatically.
