Tiger talking up return after surgery success
MIAMI—FormerworldNo 1 Tiger Woods said on Wednesday he is feeling better than he has for years and remains committed to returning to compeition.
In a blog posting through his Twitter feed, the 14-time major winner spoke for the first time about his April 20 fusion surgery, his fourth back operation since 2010 and one that cut short his 2017 campaign.
“It has been just over a month since I underwent fusion surgery on my back and it is hard to express how much better I feel,” Woods said. “It was instant nerve relief. I haven’t felt this good in years.”
Woods, who last won a major at the 2008 US Open, missed all four majors in 2016 and skipped last month’s Masters as well, saying he was not tournament-ready.
“I did everything I could to play at Augusta and was ready to go,” Woods said. “Unfortunately, it was kind of like the 2008 US Open. The pain was post-impact when I swung the club. I figured ,‘ Can I handle it?’ This time the answer was, ‘Probably not’. That shows the effect nerve pain can have.
“Obviously, it was a huge disappointment not to play. I hate to miss any major, especially the Masters, but the reality is I just couldn’t play.”
The 41-year-old has won 79 career PGA titles, three shy of Sam Snead’s all-time tally, and remains second on the all-time major win list, four shy of Jack Nicklaus’ record.
“As for returning to competitive golf, the long-term prognosis is positive,” Woods said. “My surgeon and physiotherapist say the operation was successful.
“It’s just a matter of not screwing up and letting it fuse. I’m walking and doing my exercises and taking my kids to and from school. All I can do is take it day by day. There’s no hurry.
“But I want to say unequivocally I want to play professional golf again.”
Woods ended a 15-month layoff for back surgery last December at his Hero World Challenge charity event in the Bahamas, but missed the cut at Torrey Pines in January and withdrew from a February event in Dubai. In April, he said he needed the latest operation to ease back and leg pain.
“I could no longer live with the pain,” Woods said. “We tried every possible non-surgical route and nothing worked. I had good and bad days, but the pain was usually there, and I couldn’t do much. Even lying down hurt.”
Woods was back to a level he described as a low point in late 2015 when he struggled to get out of bed.
“I had nerve pain with anything I did and was at the end of my rope,” he said on Wednesday.
“The process leading up to my decision to have surgery was exhaustive. I consulted with a specialist, and after weighing my options, that’s when I decided to go to Texas to have surgery.”
Woods said “fusion” was a scary word but cited other players who had disc fusions or replacements.
“They have all come back and played, but more than anything, it made their lives better,” Woods said.
“That’s the most important thing — that I can have a life again with my kids.”
Returning to a swing motion is something Woods will not do until August at the earliest.
“I can’t twist for another two-and-a-half to three months. Right now, my sole focus is on rehab and doing what the doctors tell me, concentrating on short-term goals.”