LOS ANGELES – Former world No1 Tiger Woods said on Tuesday he had no timetable for his return as he struggles to regain fitness after back surgery, admitting that any other tournament victories in the twilight of his career would be “gravy”.
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“I have no answer for that and neither does my surgeon”, Woods told reporters at Albany Golf Club, site of the annual event that benefits his foundation, according to ESPN.
Woods had two operations to alleviate pain from a pinched nerve.
Woods was also asked if he’d be surprised if a year from now he still hadn’t returned. The same could be said about Woods whose 2015 season had far more lowlights than highlights as he plummeted to No 400 on the world rankings.
“As I was alluding to recently with my knee surgery [in 2008] – nine months [was] the prognosis and you come back”.
“There is no timetable for this (recovery), and that’s been the hardest mindset adjustment”.
The 14-time major champion this week painted a bleak picture of his future in the game at a press conference of the Hero World Challenge tournament he hosts, saying: “there is no light at the end of the tunnel”. “And I walk some more”, he said. There’s really nothing I can look forward to, nothing I can build towards, it’s just taking it literally day by day and week by week and time by time. “I can’t stand it. Unless one of my friends has a chance to win, then I like watching it. I watched Jason [Day] win the PGA”. Maybe. “Hopefully, the day-by-day adds up to something positive here soon”.
Read that last sentence again, and tell me that you ever thought those words would come from Woods’s mouth.
It’s all led to growing speculation the end might be near for the man who once seemed destined to easily eclipse Jack Nicholson’s record of 18 majors. She says, “Again?” I say, “Yes, again, Sam. Can you please go get those guys?” Now that Kobe Bryant has announced he’s retiring from basketball, the pro golfer has been thinking long and hard about his own career, and HollywoodLife.com has EXCLUSIVELY learned that he may be ready to walk away, too. “He’s kind of matter-of-fact about it. He’s a matter-of-fact guy”.
GREENSBORO, NC – AUGUST 23: Tiger Woods tees off on the second hole during the final round of the Wy … I don’t know how I could live with myself not being able to participate in my kids’ lives like that.
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Fowler – a runner up at the U.S. Open and The Open while he claimed top-five finishes at the PGA Championship and Masters – was asked if he can be considered in the same breath as the star trio and he said: “I’m sneaking in there”. “I’m still shy of Jack’s record (of 18 majors to Woods’s 14) but in my 20 years out here, I think I’ve achieved a lot”.
