Tiger Woods laid out a plan for the 2024 season, saying the very best situation for his return to golf is to doubtlessly play one match per thirty days.
Woods recommended a situation of enjoying the Genesis Invitational in February after which discovering a match for March earlier than the majors start in April.
“I have to get myself prepared for all that. I feel this week is a step in that path,” he mentioned at a Tuesday information convention on the Hero World Problem, the golf match he hosts yearly within the Bahamas. “I’m simply as curious as all of you might be to see what occurs. … I don’t have any of the ache that I had at Augusta or pre that in my ankle.”
Woods withdrew from the Masters on April 9 resulting from plantar fasciitis and underwent a subsequent ankle surgical procedure that month. The foot situation additionally triggered him to withdraw from the 2022 Hero World Problem.
The 15-time majors champion mentioned though he’s pain-free in his ankle, his aches and pains have moved to his knees and again. Regardless of that, Woods “completely” nonetheless believes he can win tournaments.
Woods, 47, will tee off for Tuesday’s Hero World Problem observe spherical at 11:52 a.m. ET with Justin Thomas. The twenty third iteration of the occasion begins Nov. 30 and options a number of PGA stars, together with Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler.
Speak of the PGA Tour working to land a cope with Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund earlier than the Dec. 31 deadline dominated Tuesday’s information convention. Woods mentioned each side are working along with “no animosity.”
PGA Tour gamers had been blindsided by the PGA’s framework settlement with the PIF, which owns LIV Golf, on June 6 to merge their business operations. PGA golfers had been saved at midnight in regards to the deal and later reportedly despatched PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan a letter demanding a overview of the tour’s energy construction.
In response to the gamers’ unrest, the tour added a sixth participant seat to the participant administrators on the omnipotent PGA Tour coverage board in August: Woods.
When requested if he has religion in Monahan after the framework settlement, Woods mentioned, “I do think about Jay and what he may do going ahead and what can’t occur once more.”
Tiger Woods the board member
Woods doesn’t appear certain of what skilled golf will seem like in a 12 months. He wasn’t essentially assured a PGA Tour cope with PIF will occur by the deadline, and probably the most he supplied when it comes to contingencies was to say there have been “different choices” if a deal doesn’t get executed.
However the major takeaway was how authoritative he was as a brand new board member stating plainly that gamers want extra energy within the tour’s decision-making course of and the way pissed off he was about Monahan making the framework settlement with PIF behind his again. Woods appears extremely engaged in his new function and ensuring he steers golf in the best path, even when there’s nonetheless a really murky street forward. — Brody Miller, golf employees author
Why he’s making one other comeback
Crucial element from Tuesday was that Woods just isn’t in ache. He hasn’t performed a lot golf and has no thought the way it will go this week, however that half can get labored out over the subsequent few months. The important thing for Woods is he can caddie for his son Charlie and stroll 90 holes over the subsequent week with out ache, one thing he has not been capable of say for years. When requested if he thinks he can nonetheless win occasions, although, he confidently mentioned, “Completely,” so you already know the foundation of it’s he simply desires to maintain competing.
His saying the hope is to play one match a month subsequent season is jarring contemplating the horrific automobile wreck he was in two years in the past and the surgical procedure he had this spring. No, Woods won’t ever be the star he as soon as was once more, but when he will be wholesome and play with out ache, there stays a future for Woods to play golf on the massive phases. — Miller
Required studying
(Picture: Patrick Smith / Getty)
