Tiger Woods said Tuesday that he is not physically ready to return to PGA Tour action and that he still has a “long way to go” after undergoing another back procedure.
Speaking to reporters in the Bahamas during the Hero World Challenge, Woods said he is still rehabbing his back after microdecompression surgery in September, hoping he can be strong enough to achieve his goal of at least once play per month.
“I didn’t think my back would go like this this year,” Woods said. “It was quite painful all year round so I had another procedure done to relieve the pain in my leg.
“So whether my commitment going forward is once a month, yeah, I could say that again, but I really don’t know. I’m just trying to rehab and still get stronger and better and feel better , really give myself the best chance I can next year.”
Woods, who turns 49 on Dec. 30, played just five events in 2024, including all four majors, for the first time since 2020. He was forced to withdraw from the Genesis Invitational in February and later missed cuts at the PGA Championship, US Open. and The Open, while finishing 60th at the Masters.
The 15-time major champion announced last week that he is withdrawing from this week’s Hero World Challenge, which benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation, because he is not feeling “tournament sharp” at the moment.
“No, I’m still not there,” Woods said. “And these are 20 of the best players in the world, and I’m not sharp enough to compete against them at this level. If I’m ready to compete and play at this level, then I will.”
After suffering serious injuries in a car accident in February 2021, Woods continues to insist he wants to play golf for as long as he is able, despite growing calls for him to withdraw from some parts of the golf universe.
“The fire is still burning to compete,” Woods said.
