Tiger Woods is determined to play on the PGA Tour again, but he admitted Wednesday that he is not as close to accomplishing the goal as he wants to be.
Woods is continuing to recover from his Feb. 2021 car accident, which led to multiple surgeries and the near-amputation of his right leg. The golf icon admitted that progress is slow, and he is essentially still learning to walk again.
“I wish I could tell you when I’m playing again,” Woods said Wednesday, via Mark Schlabach of ESPN. “I want to know, but I don’t. My golf activity has been very limited. I can chip and putt really well and hit short irons very well, but I haven’t done any long stuff seriously. I’m still working.
“I’m still working on the walking part. My foot was a little messed up there about a year ago, so the walking part is something that I’m still working on, working on strength and development in that. It takes time. What’s frustrating is it’s not at my timetable. I want to be at a certain place, but I’m not. I’ve just got to continue working. I’m getting better, yes. But as I said, not at the speed and rate that I would like. You add in the age factor, too. You just don’t quite heal as fast, which is frustrating.”
Woods said he can play if he is using a golf cart, but walking a golf course is a greater challenge that he is not prepared for yet. While he could theoretically request that the PGA Tour allow him to use a cart during play, he has adamantly refused to consider that.
Considering the severity of the injuries he suffered, it’s remarkable that Woods can even consider a PGA Tour comeback. The 46-year-old is not putting a timetable on anything, but he’s clearly eager to play again.
