Tiger Woods has returned to the range as he steps up his recovery from a back injury.

The former world number one has not played a competitive round of golf since the US PGA Championship in August, when he announced that he was taking time off to ensure he would return to full fitness.

Woods was forced to have surgery on his back in March, but his comeback in June was disrupted when he was forced to pull out of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, before his troubles in the final Major of the year.

Mark Steinberg, the 38-year-old's agent, told ESPN in a statement that his client was "still listening to his doctors. Hitting balls and doing as much as he feels good with".

Woods, who has only managed to play in eight tournaments in 2014, is expected to make his return at the Hero World Challenge on December 4.