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sports Diaranson 1 December 2021

Woods has little to offer on past accident or future in golf

(AP) — Tiger Woods had lucky in that way.” limited, and it already was
nothing to say about the headed in that direction be-
February car crash that Woods said he felt fortunate fore the car crash. He played
shattered his right leg to be alive and to still have his only nine times during the
and he had even less of right leg — he said the possi- pandemic-shortened 2020,
an idea what his future in bility of amputation was “on ending the year with a fifth
golf holds except that he’s the table” — and to be able surgery on his lower back.
a long way from deciding to walk into the press center
whether he can compete at Albany Golf Club without Even so, he could see a sce-
against the best. a noticeable limp. From the nario of picking and choosing
waist up, with biceps bulg- where to play, presumably
“I can show up here and I ing through a black-and-gray around the majors, much
can host an event, I can play shirt, he looked like he did a like Ben Hogan did after
a par-3 course, I can hit a few year ago. his near-fatal car accident in
shots, I can chip and putt,” he 1949. Woods won the Mas-
said Tuesday. “But we’re talk- Woods is the host of the Hero ters in 2019 after back fusion
ing about going out there and World Challenge, which surgery, and just two years af-
playing against the world’s starts Thursday for 20 elite ter he could barely walk and even as he sat at a table for his he’s close have kept in touch.
best on the most difficult golf players. feared his career was over. news conference. But he hasn’t lost his intense
courses under the most diffi- desire for privacy, including
cult conditions. He said he spent three “I got that last major, and I Woods turns 46 on Dec. 30. what exactly happened when
months immobilized — a ticked off two more events he was speeding along that
“I’m so far from that.” makeshift hospital bed was along the way,” he said. “All that combined means suburban LA road.
set up in his Florida home that a full schedule and a full
Woods addressed the media — before he could start mov- The other two were the practice schedule and the re- He said friends kept him
for the first time since his ing around on crutches and Tour Championship in 2018, covery that it would take to from what was being said and
Feb. 23 crash on a winding eventually walk on his own. when he outplayed Rory do that, no, I don’t have any written about him, and he re-
road in the Los Angeles coast- Two weeks ago, he posted a McIlroy in the final round desire to do that,” he said. fused to watch anything on
al suburbs. Police said he was video of his smooth swing at East Lake, and the Zozo “But to ramp up for a few TV except for sports.
driving at least 84 mph when with a short iron. Championship in Japan in events a year ... there’s no
he crossed a median and his fall 2019 for his 82nd career reason that I can’t do that and “I didn’t want to go down that
SUV tumbled down a hill. That raised hopes that he was PGA Tour victory to tie Sam feel ready. road. I wasn’t mentally ready
on his way back. On Tues- Snead’s record. for that road yet,” he said. “A
Doctors said he shattered day, he hit the brakes on any “I’ve come off long layoffs lot of things in my body hurt
tibia and fibula bones in his notion that a comeback was Can he win again? and I’ve won or come close at that time, and whether I
right leg in multiple loca- near. Still to be determined is to winning before,” he said. was on medication or not, it
tions. Those were stabilized whether he even wants to go “I’ve got to be good enough “So I know the recipe for it. still hurt. ... I didn’t want to
by a rod in the tibia. A com- through the work required to to do it, OK? So I’ve got to I’ve just got to get to a point have my mind go there yet. It
bination of screws and pins compete at a high level. prove to myself in practice where I feel comfortable wasn’t ready.”
were used to stabilize addi- that I’m good enough,” he enough where I can do that
tional injuries in the ankle “I have a long way to go to get said. again.” Meanwhile, the Masters is
and foot. to that point,” he said. “Now, four months away, and to
I haven’t decided whether His right leg will never be Since the accident, Woods hear Woods speak about the
Asked his recollection of the or not I want to get to that what it once was. Ditto for gave an interview to Golf long road ahead, anything
accident, Woods said curtly, point. I’ve got to get my leg his left knee, which has gone Digest (with which he has but the Masters Club dinner
“All those answers have been to a point where that decision through five surgeries, one a financial deal) in May and for champions seemed un-
answered in the investiga- can be made, and we’ll see of them a week after he won a video interview with the likely. Woods said everything
tion, so you can read about what happens when I get to the 2008 U.S. Open despite Discovery-owned outlet that was a short-term goal.
all that there in the police re- that point.” having shredded ligaments was published Monday. He
port.” When asked if he had and a double stress fracture. also was in touch with U.S. “This year’s been a year I
any flashbacks to the trauma, What was clear was that any He said his back won’t be the players at the Ryder Cup and would like to turn the page
he replied: “I don’t, no. Very golf in his future would be same either, and it still ached says the players with whom on,” he said.

EU wants ‘verifiable proof’ Chinese tennis player is safe

(AP) — The European tennis player Peng Shuai sexual assault allegations. conduct a full, fair and trans-
Union said Tuesday that is safe and to conduct a Peng made the sexual assault parent investigation into her
it wants China to release thorough and transpar- Peng, a three-time Olym- allegation online against a allegations of sexual assault.”
“verifiable proof ” that ent investigation into her pian and former top-ranked former member of the Com-
doubles player, dropped out munist Party’s ruling Stand- Peng adds to a growing num-
of public view after accusing ing Committee, Zhang Gaoli. ber of Chinese business-
a former Communist Party The tennis player’s post was people, activists and ordinary
official of sexual assault. removed within minutes, people who have disappeared
and she stopped appearing in from public view in recent
Peng only has had a few direct public. years after criticizing party
contacts with officials outside figures or in crackdowns on
China since she disappeared “The EU joins growing in- corruption or pro-democracy
from public view earlier this ternational demands, includ- and labor rights campaigns.
month. She told Olympic of- ing by sport professionals, for
ficials in a Nov. 21 video call assurances that she is free and “The EU strongly opposes
from Beijing that she was safe not under threat,” the EU the use of the practice of en-
and well. said in a statement. “In this forced disappearance and ar-
spirit, the EU requests the bitrary detention...and calls
“Her recent public reappear- Chinese government to pro- upon China to comply with
ance does not ease concerns vide verifiable proof of Peng its human rights obligations
about her safety and free- Shuai’s safety, well-being and under national and interna-
dom,” an EU spokesperson whereabouts. The EU urges tional law,” the EU said.
said. the Chinese authorities to