Tiger Woods admits there is 'a long way to go' before he can make full return to golf
- Planet Sport writer
- 17 February 2022
15-time major winner still struggling to recover from horrific car accident a year ago.
Tiger Woods has admitted he is still struggling to cope with the walking demands of golf after his car crash, never mind anything more physically taxing.
Woods needed surgery on two open fractures in his right leg following the accident in Los Angeles a year ago.
He also suffered injuries to his foot and ankle, and at one point it looked like he was in danger of losing the lower part of his leg entirely.
The 15-time major winner has always maintained hopes that he could fight his way back onto the PGA Tour, but he says he is a long way off from that right now.
"I wish I could tell you when I'm playing again," the 46-year-old said at Genesis Invitational at Riviera, where he is the tournament host. "I want to know but I don't.
"My golf activity has been very limited. I can chip and putt really well, hit short irons really well but haven't done any really long stuff seriously.
"I'm still working on the walking part. It takes time. What's frustrating is not (being) at my timetable. I want to be at a certain place but I'm not. I'm getting better, yes, but not at the speed and rate that I would like.
"I have seen progress, I am a lot stronger than I was. I can play weekend warrior golf, that's easy, but to be able to be out here and play six rounds of golf - practice round, pro-am, four competitive days - I'm not able to do that yet.
"I can walk on a treadmill all day, that's easy, there's no bumps in the road. But walking on a golf course where there's undulations… I have a long way to go.
"My leg was not in a very good position about a year ago and I've had to work through a lot of different operations and a lot of different scenarios and it's been tough, but I've gotten here and I still have a long way to go.
"Each and every day is a fight and I welcome that fight. Get up in the morning and let's go a few more rounds."
While a full competitive return remains a long way off, Woods admitted he would be physically capable of playing the pre-tournament par-three contest ahead of the Masters on April 6.
"I can do that now," he added. "Whether I do that or not, I don't know."