Golfing legend Tiger Woods admits he still has “a lot of work to do” before he makes a return to the PGA Tour, but he won’t be making any comeback just for the sake of it.
This time last year, Woods was thanking his lucky stars that he survived a horrific high-speed, single-car crash near Los Angeles when he drove his car across two oncoming lanes, hit a kerb, uprooted a tree and flipped his car.
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The 46-year-old’s injuries as a result of the crash included a shattered ankle and two leg fractures, one of which was compound.
He made somewhat of a return to the fairway, albeit in a more relaxed setting in the PNC Championship, where he played with his 12-year-old son Charlie.
Woods also had the added benefit of getting around the course in a cart as opposed to walking around, as he continues to work on getting himself back to full health.
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Speaking at the Genesis Invitational, the five-time Masters winner insisted a long road ahead awaits, although being able to accomplish a certain task has given him plenty of hope.
“I have a lot of work to do,” Woods said.
“I’ve been working my butt off for the last 10 months even to get myself into this position.
“It’s been a tough road and I’ve still got a long way to go.
“The great thing is, as I’ve said earlier, I’m able to hit golf balls.
“I’m able to play in the father-son, and play with my son, albeit in a cart.
“I’m able to do that.
“All in all, very lucky to have this opportunity to be able to do this.”
However, a return comes with plenty of question marks.
And for Woods, the most burning one of all is what level he can play at again.
His most recent Masters win came in 2019, but after the car crash last year, who knows how his body will hold up.
It isn’t just the playing side of it, it’s things as simple as walking the course, practising and everything else that goes into preparation ahead of big events that Woods knows he must overcome before any sort of comeback.
He admitted he’ll “never play a full schedule again”, and will cherry pick his future events going forward.
While it would be remarkable just to see Woods gracing the world’s most famous greens again, he isn’t returning for the sake of it.
“I don’t want to come out here and just play, that’s not how I am,” Woods said.
“I need to feel like I am confident that I can beat these guys.
“I’ve got to do the legwork at home and that’s on me.”