At last year’s Hero World Challenge, Tiger Woods expressed hope that he could play one tournament per month in 2024. However, that plan never materialized as Woods’ surgically repaired body limited him to just five events, with four early exits, before he was forced to stop all golf activity after undergoing microdecompression surgery on his lower back on September 13.
A year later, at Albany, where Woods won’t be playing in the limited-field exhibition, he took a more cautious approach with his expectations.
Tiger Woods unsure of his return
“I didn’t think my back would deteriorate as it did this year. It was extremely painful toward the end, which led to another procedure to alleviate the pain in my leg,” Woods said Tuesday from the Bahamas during his pre-tournament press conference.
“I could say that I’m committed to playing once a month again, but honestly, I don’t know. I’m just focused on rehab, trying to get stronger, feel better, and give myself the best chance heading into next year.”
Woods, who has struggled in recent years with the challenge of balancing physical limitations and the competitive rust from a lack of consistent play, mentioned that he hasn’t experienced any back spasms or nerve pain following his latest surgery, which was a positive sign.
However, he acknowledged that his recovery is still a “long road” with no specific return date set. While continuing his rehab in the gym, he was not asked about how many golf balls, if any, he’s hitting at this stage.
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Having played the Hero World Challenge just once since his solo fourth place finish in 2019—his 18th-place finish last year—Tiger Woods admitted he wasn’t “tournament sharp” enough to compete among the world’s top 20 players this week.
He also refrained from confirming whether he plans to play in the PNC Championship next week in Orlando, where he’s partnered with his son, Charlie, for the past three years.
While Woods didn’t provide a clear answer on his immediate future, Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig reported that he intends to play in his TGL team’s season debut on January 14. However, Woods acknowledged that if the debut were today, it would be “very difficult.”
His press conference ended with no definitive answers on when or where we’ll see Woods back in competitive golf in 2025. “When I’m ready to compete and play at this level,” he said, “then I will.”
