Woods wants to get back onto PGA tour
Tiger Woods said he had fusion surgery on his back because he could no longer tolerate the pain, and that he wants to get back on the PGA Tour.
“I haven’t felt this good in years,” he said Wednesday in an update on his website. Woods had the fusion surgery on April — his fourth surgery on his back dating to the spring of 2014 — and said it provided “instant nerve relief.”
The surgery meant missing all the majors for the second straight year. Woods said he did everything possible to get ready for the Masters and was “ready to go.” He said it was similar to the 2008 U.S. Open, which he won on a shattered left leg, because the pain was after he made contact.
“I figured, ‘Can I handle it?’ This time the answer was, ‘probably not. That shows the effect nerve pain can have,” Woods wrote.
Woods had a second back surgery in September 2014, and a third one in November 2014, and then sat out for 15 months until returning last December at his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, where he made 24 birdies but tied for 15th in an 18-man field. He missed the cut at Torrey Pines in late January, and then flew to Dubai and withdrew after opening with a 77. That was his last round.
“I could no longer live with the pain I had,” Woods wrote. “We tried every possible non-surgical route and nothing worked. I had good days and bad days, but the pain was usually there, and I couldn’t do much. Even lying down hurt. I had nerve pain with anything I did and was at the end of my rope.”
EX-KNICK EXEC DIES
Hal Childs, a former assistant general manager for the Knicks and public relations director for the Golden State Warriors and Seattle Mariners, has died of complications from heart disease. He was 84. Childs’ wife, Jacqueline, said Wednesday that her husband died Sunday at his home in Dublin, Calif. Hal Childs served as assistant GM of the Knicks from 1987-91 and ran the Warriors’ PR department during the organization’s first championship season in 1974-75. He also worked in PR for the Mariners, Seattle SuperSonics and San Diego Clippers.
COTTO HEADING BACK TO RING
Four-time world champion Miguel Cotto will return from a lengthy layoff to fight Yoshihiro Kamegai for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title on Aug. 26 at the StubHub Center in carson, Calif. Cotto has not fought since November 2015, when he lost a unanimous decision to Canelo Alvarez for the WBC middleweight belt. The 26-year-old native of Puerto Rico has held titles in the super lightweight, welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight divisions. He’s 40-5 with 33 knockouts.
Kamegai, of Japan, is 27-3-2 with 24 KOs. “I’m very excited to be back and showcase a high-level fight for the fans,” Cotto said. “Kamegai is a great, tough fighter, but I will be ready for him and to capture the world title.”
John Elway insists he’ll sign a new contract with the Denver Broncos before the start of the season. Entering the final year of his contract as general manager and executive vice president of football operations, Elway said there were no hang-ups in negotiations. “We’re continuing to work at it. I don’t see any problems with that. I look forward to being here with the Broncos for a long time,” Elway said before receiving the 2017 Community Enrichment Award at the Mizel Institute’s annual dinner.
Elway said, “I don’t think there will be any doubt” that the deal will get done by the time the Broncos begin the season Sept. 11 against the Chargers.