WOODS ENTERED INTO A WORLD OF PAIN AT MEDINAH
For the entire nation of America, it became known as the meltdown at Medinah. Now, as he prepares to play in the ryder Cup for the first time in six years, Tiger Woods has revealed that, for him personally, the misery of the 2012 edition ran far deeper than a stinging one-point defeat.
‘That is where I started having my back bugging me,’ he said. ‘The afternoon wave on Saturday was the only time I ever sat out a session when I told the captain, Davis Love, that I really couldn’t play. I needed to get my back organised for the singles on Sunday.’
Last man out against Francesco Molinari, Woods was left stranded on the course as Europe completed their remarkable comeback from a four-point deficit. As tough as that defeat was, though, it paled for Woods alongside the four-year nightmare that followed and led to him undergoing four gruelling back surgeries.
‘Even now, I still don’t have an entire day go by when I stop thinking about my back,’ admitted Woods, 42, who will complete 18 tournaments on the PGA Tour this year for only the second time since turning 30.
‘I will never be as flexible again and I’m reminded of that every time I wake up in the morning.’
Woods’ miraculous comeback this campaign will be sealed over the next fortnight as he completes two of his biggest goals, starting with the season-ending Tour Championship today, where he tees off alongside Tommy Fleetwood in the first round.
‘When I knew that I was going to be healthy enough to play a run of events, I thought it would be a great accomplishment to get back among the top 30 who played this event and, of course, get back into the ryder Cup team,’ said Woods.
‘Now I’ve done both, you have to say it has been an amazing season. Not one of my best, because I have not won an event, let alone the eight or nine times I’ve won in past seasons, but certainly one of the most remarkable.’
All told, 17 of the 24 players who will compete at the ryder Cup next week are at East Lake, where the $10million FedEx Cup bonus cheque is also on the line, alongside the $1.88m for winning the Tour Championship.
New world No 1 Justin rose lies second in the FedEx race behind American Bryson DeChambeau and is one of five players — the others are Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau — who are guaranteed the mammoth bonus if they win the event.
Further down the FedEx list, players like Woods, Fleetwood and rory McIlroy need to win the tournament plus rely on help from others to leave for Paris on Sunday with an $11.88m payday.