Tiger Woods gives grim update on return to PGA Tour
By Ty Bronicel
Uh-oh.
FORE-warned.
Looks like it's going to be more than a bit before we see Tiger Woods on the golf course. It certainly won't be this year.
The 48-year-old Woods withdrew from this week's Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event he hosts in the Bahamas.
Woods had surgery in September for nerve impingement on his lower back.
RELATED: Caitlin Clark is playing more golf, this time on the PGA Tour
"As far as the recovery process of going out there and doing it again and again and again and doing it consistently at a high level, for some reason, the body just won't recover like it used to," Woods said. "That's part of age and part of an athlete's journey."
"I'm not tournament-sharp yet," Woods told reporters during a news conference in the Bahamas. "No, I'm still not there. And these are 20 of the best players in the world, and I'm not sharp enough to compete against them at this level. When I'm ready to compete and play at this level, then I will."
When Woods was asked whether he still has a desire to compete on tour, he said, "The fire still burns to compete."
"As far as the recovery process of going out there and doing it again and again and again and doing it consistently at a high level, for some reason, the body just won't recover like it used to," Woods said. "That's part of age and part of an athlete's journey."
"I didn't think my back was going to go like it did this year," Woods said. "It was quite painful throughout the end of the year, and hence I had another procedure done to alleviate the pain I had going down my leg. And so, what are my commitments going forward? Is it once a month? Yeah, I could say that all over again, but I truly don't know. I'm just trying to rehab and still get stronger and better and feel better and really give myself the best chance I can going to next year."
MORE TOP STORIES From the Big Lead
ROUNDUP: LeBron and Aaron Rodgers’ reaching new lows
CFB: Top landing spots for QB transfer Miller Moss