LOS ANGELES — Tiger Woods, who tantalized fans with a Twitter video of himself hitting a driver on Sunday, has been cleared by doctors to resume full golf activities, ESPN reported on Monday.

The 14-time major champion hasn't played since February, when he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic. He has played three times in two years thanks to a series of injuries and had a fourth back surgery in April.

At the Presidents Cup two weeks ago, Woods acknowledged that he didn't know if he would ever return to competitive golf. But on Sunday the 41-year-old posted a video of himself — clad in a trademark red shirt of the kind he sported on so many championship Sundays — hitting his driver.

"Making Progress" was the caption. The post followed an Oct. 7 post that heralded "Smooth Iron Shots" and a post on Aug. 31 that said: "Dr. gave me the OK to start pitching".

ESPN quoted Woods's agent, Mark Steinberg, as saying the former world No. 1 had received a "nice report" in the wake of a medical check-up last week and had been cleared to "do as much as he needs to do".

However, Steinberg cautioned that Woods, who was arrested in May for driving under the influence of a variety of prescription drugs, would continue to take his rehab "very, very slowly".

Fred Ridley takes helm of Augusta National, Masters

Fred Ridley took over as chairman of Augusta National golf Club and the Masters on Monday, replacing the retiring Bill Payne. Ridley becomes the seventh person to hold the position in the club's history dating to 1932. Payne, who turned 70 on Friday, announced his retirement in August after 11 years as chairman.

Payne's retirement was effective at the beginning of the new club season on Monday. He is succeeded by Ridley, a former US Golf Association president (2004-05) who won the 1975 US Amateur and served as chairman of Augusta National's competition committee since 2007.

Ridley, 65, cited Augusta National founder Bobby Jones and its original chairman Clifford Roberts in describing his new job as "beyond humbling".

"Throughout my life, Bobby Jones has been my idol and role model," Ridley said in a statement. "I remember meeting Clifford Roberts during my first visit to Augusta National as an amateur invitee more than four decades ago. So to become Chairman of Augusta National and the Masters is beyond humbling. I stand ready to embrace the responsibilities that come with this important position, strengthened by the lessons the sport teaches and the example of those who have provided leadership to me over the years." — AFP