Tiger Woods offered blunt explanation for why he played in Masters
Dec 19, 2021; Orlando, Florida, USA; Tiger Woods with a smile while waiting on the third tee box during the final round of the PNC Championship golf tournament at Grande Lakes Orlando Course. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports
Tiger Woods played in all four rounds of the Masters earlier this month despite being barely a year removed from a serious car accident. Some wondered why he chose to fight through pain rather than taking more time to recover, and the 15-time major champion had a simple explanation for that.
During an appearance on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio Monday, Jack Nicklaus shared a tidbit of a conversation he had with Woods at the Masters’ Champions Dinner. Nicklaus says he asked Tiger why he chose not to wait another year. Woods said because he expects to be in pain a year from now, too.
Jack Nicklaus says that at the Champions Dinner, Tiger Woods explained why he was playing the Masters:
"Why in the world would I wait a year to play if I know I’m gonna hurt both years? Why don’t I just get back and start playing and just suck it up?"
(told to @SiriusXMPGATOUR)
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) April 19, 2022
That is the harsh reality for Tiger at this point in his career. The car accident last year nearly resulted in him having to have his leg amputated. Even before that, the 46-year-old was constantly dealing with pain from his numerous back surgeries. It is just something he has to deal with as long as he continues to play.
Woods has said he will never be a full-time player on the PGA Tour again. He provided a bit of information about his schedule after the Masters, but he is likely to be a game-time decision for every tournament in which he wants to play.