Tiger Woods withdrew from yet another tournament last weekend because of issues with his surgically-repaired back, and it may be time to accept this as the new normal.
While he was in Dubai, Woods gave a candid interview to former European Tour golfer Peter Dawson. Tiger opened up about how difficult it has been to battle back from three different procedures on his back, and he said he will likely always be in some sort of discomfort.
“I feel good, not great,” Woods said. “Granted, I don’t ever think I’ll feel great, because it’s three back surgeries, four knee operations. I’m always going to be a little bit sore, that’s just the way it is. As long as I can function at a good enough level, I’m fine with that.”
Tiger’s manager Mark Steinberg offered no update on Woods’ latest back injury Tuesday, though there does not seem to be a sense of panic over it. The real concern for Woods fans could be that he was near the bottom of the leaderboard when he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic after shooting an opening round 77.
Despite his inconsistencies, Woods insists his goal is to get back to winning.
“This is the changing of the guard. My generation is getting older, but if I’m teeing it up the goal is to win it,” he said. “That doesn’t change whether I’m injured, coming off an injury, or I’m playing well or playing poorly. If I’m in the event, it’s to win the event.”
Woods just signed what was likely a very lucrative new equipment deal, so retirement isn’t on his mind. Though, he did admit to Dawson that there were times when he was in so much pain that he wondered if he’d ever get back on the course.
The Masters is now less than two months away, and golf fans will be eager to see if Tiger is in position to make another run at a green jacket. We’ll just have to see if his back cooperates. You can see the full interview with Dawson below:
