Woods, who had the most superhuman of golf games when at his best coming out of Stanford to take the game by storm, seems completely human now. He turns 40 at the end of this month. The chase for Jack Nicklaus’s major championship record is definitely on the back burner, for the first time in Woods’s career.
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“I don’t have an answer as to when I’ll be back”, he said of his return date. “That has been the hardest mindset adjustment”.
“I’ve no answer. Neither does my surgeon or physio. Hopefully the day by day adds up to something positive soon”. He’s kept himself busy these last few months. In the place of the normally confident competitor on Tuesday was an injured athlete in decline ruminating gloomily about the potential end of his remarkable career.
“I’ve passed Jack on the all-time win list”, Woods said.
“We’d hit balls and then he’d show me short game, for hours”, Woods said. Woods didn’t sound too confident about playing at Hazeltine next fall.
Reacting to Woods” comments, McIlroy wished his “idol’ a quick recovery. It was his first time playing golf since the Masters, and the brace kept him from rotating.
Adam Scott didn’t see the press conference and said he can only hope that Woods recovers. He agreed to be a vice captain under Davis Love III at the Ryder Cup next year, though Woods still wants to play in the matches. “I don’t know.” Wow. She says, “Again?” I say, “Yes, again, Sam. Can you please go get those guys?”
If this is indeed the end though, it would be a sad ending for one of golf’s most celebrated superstars. He hasn’t won a Tour event in over two years. He went into the final round two shots behind and tied for 10th.
The 39-year-old, who won the last of his 14 majors in 2008, had back surgery in September and Ocotber and has not swung a club since. If you never win a tournament again, will you be at peace with your career and everything you’ve accomplished?
It would not be fitting or showing the proper decorum to start predicting the future for Woods in golf, but these are gloomy sentiments by anybody’s standards. “I’m just shy of Sam. I passed Sam basically a decade ago in major championships”. “He’s kind of matter-of-fact about it. He’s a matter-of-fact guy”.
“But if that’s not the case any more, then I’ll find other avenues, [whether] that being growing my foundation, what we’re trying to do, golf course design or other projects I have going on right now”.
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This is the bleakest picture Woods has ever painted of one of his injuries.
