Tiger Woods provides recovery update at Hero World Challenge
Tiger Woods delivered an update on his recovery on Tuesday while hosting his annual Hero World Challenge tournament in the Bahamas, reports BritPanorama.
The 15-time major champion made his first public appearance since undergoing surgery in October, displaying his trademark humour when asked about his comeback timeline. Woods remarked, “I’m probably gonna play 25 events on both tours, and I think that should cover most of the year, right?”
However, he later clarified that he remains far from finalising any concrete decisions regarding his playing schedule, stating, “I’m a way away from that part of it and that type of decision and that type of commitment level.”
Woods disclosed that he received medical clearance just last week to resume chipping and putting. The surgery, which involved replacing a disc in his lower back, marked his seventh spinal operation and took place six weeks ago. He acknowledged the long road to recovery, explaining, “It’s been slow. Can’t really do much on a disc replacement; you gotta let it set.”
Despite the progress, Woods, 49, confirmed he is not yet allowed to execute a full swing. The recovery timeline for a disc replacement is still demanding, requiring substantial patience from the former world number one. He expressed frustration at the pace of his rehabilitation, noting, “It was a good thing to do, something I needed to have happen and it just takes time and dedication to the rehab process.”
On the positive side, he has now been approved to intensify his gym sessions and start strengthening exercises. Woods said, “Now we got the OK to start cranking up in the gym and start strengthening and start doing a little bit more of the rotational component that I hadn’t been able to do in letting the disc kinda set.”
This recent procedure represents Woods’ third significant operation in two years, following previous surgeries on his Achilles and ankle. His close friend, Notah Begay III, mentioned that simply walking around the course poses the most significant challenge for Woods after his multiple surgeries.
The physical demands of tackling 18 holes on foot remain an ongoing hurdle, particularly following the impacting effects of his near-fatal car accident in 2021. Currently, Woods shares the all-time PGA Tour victories record with Sam Snead, both having claimed 82 tournament wins. For supporters hoping to see him break that historic mark, the wait continues, with Woods having competed in just eight official events over the past four years.
