Boxy knows only too well Tiger cannot rush his comeback
THE whole golfing world was left disappointed when Tiger Woods shelved plans for the comeback from his back injury.
Woods was supposed to have played at the PGA Tour’s Safeway Open in California this week and at the Turkish Airlines Open in November.
Instead, the date for his return has been pushed back to his own event in the Bahamas at the start of December, as he insisted in a statement that his game was still ‘vulnerable’.
It is now over 12 months since Woods last played a tournament and the longer the wait goes on, the more people will question if he will be seen again on a golf course.
But returning from major surgery is not easy. He has received sympathy from Sky Sports commentator Richard Boxall.
He suffered one of the mostinfamous injuries in golf when he broke his leg during the third round of the 1991 Open at Royal Birkdale, playing alongside Colin Montgomerie.
He was on the ninth hole, just two shots off the lead when it happened, as his leg gave way while hitting a one-iron.
Boxall recovered and returned to golf in February the following year, but his game was never the same.
So he recognises the mental and physical obstacles that Tiger must overcome if he is to be a force in the sport again.
“Before I broke my leg, I used to draw the ball,” he recalls. “When I came back, I could
only hit it left to right, which meant I was looking at the game totally differently.
“Then mentally, you are not sure, so I perfectly understand how Tiger feels.
“I don’t think the feeling ever goes away from your mind. I broke my leg and kept thinking: ‘Might it go again?’
“The doctors said it would not happen but you are never sure. The hardest thing is committing to your shots. If something is not right, your brain will not let you do it.
“Tiger probably can’t commit to the shots in the same way he used to do, so it’s not easy for him.”
Woods’ status in the game is such that, if and when he does return to golf, he will not be able to return quietly and out of the spotlight.
If that means his comeback has to be delayed for a couple more months, Boxall is naturally supportive.
“I don’t think this is the end for Tiger, but I don’t blame him for not coming back,” he reasons.
“He has to return when he is dead right because there is nothing worse than coming back too soon.
“It’s a shame for these tournaments but he is probably making the right decision.
“We only want him back when he is fully ready but we’ll have to wait and see if he can play like he used to do.
“The only thing is that he is never going to come back quietly like the average golfer. He’s Tiger Woods.”