KAPALUA, Hawaii: Tiger Woods should have a strong 2012 season, one that will help secure U.S. PGA finances and lift golf globally ahead of its 2016 Olympic return, U.S. PGA commissioner Tim Finchem said Sunday. At the season-opening Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, Finchem said that strong showings by Woods last year in Australia and by ending a two-year win drought at last month’s World Challenge are a good omen for the new season.

“I know how hard his work ethic has been the last year and a half,” Finchem said. “I sense that his confidence is coming back on greens – not that he’s ever said there’s any problem with his confidence, but he’s putting better and striking the ball well.

“So I would look for him to have a very solid year this year and that’s a good thing for us.”

Woods plans to open his season later this month at Abu Dhabi and play his first U.S. PGA event next month at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Television contract extensions signed last year, a set of rising young stars and commitments to the U.S. PGA this season by England’s Lee Westwood and reigning U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland will join a return to form by Woods in helping boost the U.S. PGA as well as golf in general.

“The two main reasons we are excited about the season are this continuing growth of enthusiasm and excitement about the young players coming up [and] we are close to a point where we can really look out and see our future from a business and sponsorship standpoint for a good number of years,” Finchem said.

“Unless something changes, we seem to be handling a less-than-full-out economic situation, at least in the United States, in reasonably good form. We are making progress and going, maybe not the same rate we were during the great economy but a solid growth rate.

“[We have] the opportunity to help grow the game globally leading up to the 2016 Olympics, when golf will re-enter the Olympics in Rio.”