Woods’ future unclear, waits for back to heal
After eight surgeries, including four procedures done on his back since 2014, 41-year-old Tiger Woods injected some uncharacteristic humor in his response to a question about whether he thought his body would ever be back to 100% healthy again. And if he does get to that stage, could Woods return to being the best golfer on the planet, like he was in his 20s?
“Anybody in here who is in their 40s ever going to feel like they did in their 20s? Huh? Seriously?” Woods asked the media throng Wednesday, as laughter erupted in the enclosed tent at the Presidents Cup press conference. “I don’t know what 100% means after eight surgeries, but I’ll try and get as close as I can to that number. But as I said, we just take it one step at a time. It’s a process, and I’m in no hurry. As far as my health, I’m feeling great.”
Woods, a 14-time major champion and the former world No. 1 player, is an assistant captain for the U.S. Team in the Presidents Cup tournament that begins Thursday at Liberty National Golf Club, and despite a tumultuous year personally, Woods was surprisingly upbeat about his future. Even if that future means he can no longer play competitive golf again.
“I don’t know what my future holds for me. As I’ve told you guys, I’m hitting 60-yard shots,” Woods said, while also adding that his surgeon would be the person who dictates Woods’ return to competitive golf. “I’ve been out of the game for a while. First thing’s first — get my health organized. Make sure the pain goes away. Then, basically, just keep waiting for what my surgeon says. I’m still training. I’m getting stronger. But I certainly don’t have my golf muscles trained because obviously I’m not doing anything golf related.”
Woods’ assistant captain role comes near the end of a year in which Woods was arrested for DUI in May in Florida. A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s toxicology report revealed he had five drugs in his system when he was charged, including the painkiller Vicodin.
A few weeks after the arrest, Woods tweeted that he was getting “professional help” to manage his medications. Woods also underwent his fourth back surgery in April, and he has played in just 18 events worldwide since his first back surgery in 2014. He last won a major at the 2008 U.S. Open.
Woods never answered curtly Wednesday, however, and he gave both serious and sarcastic responses during a media session for the assistant captains of both the U.S. and International Teams, with most of the media questions directed at Woods.
While Davis Love III, another U.S. Team assistant captain, reiterated his remarks from Tuesday, when Love said he did not think athletes kneeling during the national anthem was appropriate, Woods, the son of an AfricanAmerican Vietnam War veteran and someone who has played golf with President Trump, at least made an attempt to acknowledge the unrest in the country.
“Obviously there’s a lot of unrest right now, whether it’s political or racial, in this country right now. And that’s something that obviously has happened before in the past, and it’s happening right now in America,” said Woods. “So hopefully things can be healed, we can progress as a nation and come together, not just only the near future, but for perpetuity.”
Love followed Woods’ remarks by saying, “We’re here to play golf.”
“We’re not here to protest. The country was founded on the Constitution and the Bible. Respect those things, and then respect the people that have fought for the right that we can protest the rest of the time,” said Love.
Woods, who posted to his Twitter account earlier this month that his thoughts and prayers were with Floridians affected by Hurricane Irma, expressed the same sentiments Wednesday when asked about the recent earthquake in Mexico.
“Unfortunately, devastations like that do happen. We try and help as best we possibly can, either through financial donations or other types of support, whatever the vehicles may be,” said Woods. “I know I’ve given some financial support to all the different places that have been hit, and hopefully people can move forward, heal; it’s not going to be easy.”