Tiger Woods is already hitting full shots following the back disc replacement surgery he underwent last year. “Yes, I hit full shots, but not every day,” he explained this Tuesday during his media session ahead of the Genesis Championship, a signature tournament of the PGA Tour where he acts as host, held in Riviera, California.
The 15-time Major champion assures that it is a slow and painful recovery. Age does not forgive. “It takes time. Will Zalatoris went through it and it took him a while to come back. I’m a bit older than Willy. It will probably take me a bit longer. My body has been through a lot. It’s one of those day-to-day things: I keep trying, keep moving forward, keep working on it, trying to get stronger, trying to gain more endurance in this body and get it to a level where I can compete at the highest level again,” he explained.
Tiger wants to take it step by step. No one has more experience than him in complicated recoveries. For this reason, he is not setting a return date. There is no specific goal, he clarifies. However, when asked if the Masters is ruled out, the Cypress native responds firmly: “No.” In other words, he is doing everything possible and impossible to get to Augusta. That is the takeaway, and it would be surprising if he doesn’t make it. Few are more perseverant and disciplined than him.
Similarly, Woods has spoken clearly for the first time about the possibility of being the captain of the Ryder Cup in Ireland. The offer is on the table, and he is considering it. That’s the news. “They have approached me, and I haven’t made a decision yet. I’m trying to figure out what we’re trying to do with our tour. It’s taking me hours and hours every day, and I’m trying to see if I can truly do justice with my time to our team, to Team USA, and to the players and everyone who will be involved in the Ryder Cup. I’m trying to see if I can really do this, serve the people involved, and do it at an honourable level,” he argued.
Regarding the possibility of playing in the PGA Tour Champions, something he can do since turning 50 on December 30, Tiger has also hinted that it is a possibility. “The disc replacement has been a significant thing. It’s been a challenge… I’ve had my back fused and now a disc replacement, so it’s complicated. And I’ve also entered a new decade, so that number starts to weigh, and it makes us think about the possibility of playing in a buggy. That’s something that, as I said, I won’t do here on this tour because I don’t believe in it. But on the Champions Tour, certainly, that option exists,” he commented.
In other words, reading between the lines, everything points to Tiger possibly playing some Champions Tour event to test himself before the Masters Tournament. Certainly, based on his words, it seems the most likely and intriguing scenario.
