By Dan Murphy
On Feb. 19, anyone who was watching the PGA tour’s third round of the Genesis Invitational also got a chance to hear from perhaps the greatest golfer of all time, Tiger Woods, give his fans an update on his health status one year after a car accident in which he was lucky to survive.
On Feb. 23, 2021, Woods suffered severe leg injuries from the crash, in which he apparently fell asleep while driving. He hasn’t played in a PGA tour event since 2020. He recently played in a father son event with his son Charlie, but he was able to drive in a cart.
CBS Golf host Jim Nance peppered Woods with questions about his health, and when he was coming back. “I don’t know. I can hit balls. The hardest part is actually walking, and so, that’s going to take some time.”
And this reporter’s takeaway from the interview is that Tiger is months away from a comeback on the PGA tour, and dare I say it: He may never play regularly on the PGA tour again.
Nantz didn’t want to take no, or maybe for an answer, and kept asking the same question in different ways. “You guys are really hammering me on this. I have a lot of work to do. I’ve been working my butt off to even get in this position. Long way to go but I’m able to hit golf balls. What level can I attain is a question mark.”
The problem with Woods comeback continues to be with his one leg which was serious damaged in the car crash. He can’t walk long distances, and while some who watch golf on TV don’t see the big deal about what golf writer John Feinstein called “A Good Walk Spoiled,” an 18-hole round is a 4 mile walk through hilly and sometimes uneven land.
Yes Tiger wants to come back. He is one of the most competitive athletes ever. He also wants to compete for Major Championships. He won’t be playing every week on the tour, but he needs to get his legs back to a point where they can sustain walking four rounds in four days.
“You will see me on the PGA Tour, I just don’t know when,” said Woods, to Nance, which was the takeaway quote that gave everyone hope.
Nance asked about the Masters. Tiger said that he would attend the Champions dinner and wouldn’t even commit to playing the par 3 tournament before the tournament begins. That speaks volumes, to me about how far away he is from teeing it up again professionally.
Nance and Nick Faldo then went over this year’s major championships to see if there was one that had a level course with fewer hills that might be amenable to Tiger making it through. After the Masters, there is the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Oklahoma, the US Open at The Country Club in Mass., and the Open Championship at St. Andrew’s in mid-July.
If we all want to dream about a Tiger comeback, the British Open at St. Andrew’s would be the one to dream about. It gives Tiger the most time to continue his rehab and is the home of golf.
Lady PGA golf instructor Paige Spiranac tweeted, “Tiger said he will play competitive golf again. He is going to win a major.” Tiger is 46 years old. He gave us all a treat in 2019 when he won the Masters for a fifth time.
Jack Nicklaus won his last major at the age of 46, so it’s not impossible. But the number of surgeries that Tiger Woods has had makes us think more about Joe Namath than Jack.
Right now he can’t walk 18 holes. But if anyone can do it it’s Tiger Woods. I’ve watched him for 25 years, when he won his first Masters in 1997. Thank you Tiger for the memories.
