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SPORTSWednesday 2 December
Tiger Woods has no timetable on healing or playing
Continued from page 17 Tiger Woods reacts after missing a putt on the ninth hole during the second round of the Wyndham take it day by day. Hope-
Championship golf tournament in Greensboro, N.C. Woods painted a bleak picture Tuesday, Dec. fully, the day-by-day adds
A month away from turn- 1, 2015, on when he can return to golf or even get back to doing anything more than just walking. up to something positive
ing 40, the smile did come here soon.”
as easily for Woods. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) He agreed to be a vice
He has not competed captain under Davis Love
since Aug. 23 at the Wynd- said was in the same spot. might play again. he could get back. Woods III at the Ryder Cup next
ham Championship in Asked the degree to which “I have no answer for that, returned eight months later year, though Woods still
Greensboro, North Caroli- he can function, Woods and neither does my sur- and won in his third start. wants to play in the match-
na, where he attracted re- said, “I walk. I walk and I geon or my physios,” he “For nerves, there are really es. He says it has been two
cord crowds in his first ap- walk some more.” said. “There is no timeta- no timetables and therein months since he hit a golf
pearance and played his Woods, who has spent 683 ble.” lies the tricky part of it be- ball — “a chip shot left
best golf of a bad year. He weeks at No. 1 in the world Woods said this was differ- cause you can come back handed” — and that he
went into the final round ranking, is now at No. 400, ent from his four knee sur- earlier or you can come passes most his time play-
two shots behind and tied his lowest as a professional. geries, even the worst one back later. It just depends ing video games.
for 10th. He has not won since the in 2008 after he won the on how the nerve heals Woods said he wants to
He didn’t realize that Bridgestone Invitational in U.S. Open at Torrey Pines for and how it settles,” he said. play again and that any-
would be his last event of 2013, when he was the PGA his 14th major. He had a re- Would he be surprised if thing he accomplishes the
the year, and last tourna- Tour player of the year. construction of his left knee he was nothing more than rest of his career “will be
ment for longer than he And now he can’t even and was told it would be a host at the Hero World gravy.”
knows. begin to imagine when he about nine months before Challenge a year from But he sounded at peace
“Was it a surprise? Yeah,” now? He couldn’t answer with what he already has
Woods said. “Because as I it. done — 79 career victo-
was alluding to that week “So where is the light at the ries on the PGA Tour (sec-
and subsequent weeks, I end of the tunnel? I don’t ond only to the 82 by Sam
felt my hip was killing me know, so that’s been hard,” Snead), 14 majors (second
and I didn’t think it was Woods said. “I had to reset to 18 by Jack Nicklaus),
coming from my back. We the clock each and every PGA Tour player of the
worked out in the trailer day and OK, here we go. year a record 11 times.
each and every day and This is a new day and this “I’ve had a pretty good
just tried to loosen up my is taken for what it is. I lis- career for my 20s and
hip. And OK, fine, we went ten to my surgeon. I listen 30s,” he said. “For my 20
out and played. But I didn’t to my physios and we just years out here, I think I’ve
feel any back discomfort. achieved a lot, and if
“Come to find out it wasn’t that’s all it entails, then I’ve
my hip, it was coming from had a pretty good run. But
my back.” I’m hoping that’s not it. I’m
He had another microdis- hoping that I can get back
cectomy Sept. 16 and then out here and compete
he revealed Oct. 30 anoth- against these guys. I really
er “procedure,” which he do miss it.”
The first step? Getting
healthy enough to play
soccer with his two chil-
dren.
“If I can get to that, then
we can start talking about
golf,” he said. “But let me
get to where I can pass the
time and really be a part of
my kids’ life in the way that
I want to be part of it physi-
cally, not just as a cheer-
leader.”
