Golf: Tiger Woods says will rest and work on walking after family outing
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Tiger Woods (right) and his son Charlie Woods (left) during the final round of the PNC Championship golf tournament on Dec 18, 2022.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MIAMI – Tiger Woods is not sure when he will play competitive golf again, but the 15-time Major winner intends to rest and improve his walking ability in the coming weeks.
Woods and his son Charlie settled for a share of eighth on Sunday at the PNC Championship family golf tournament won by Fiji’s Vijay Singh and his son Qass.
Woods, aided by carts at the weekend event, plans to strengthen his legs as he recovers from severe leg injuries suffered in a February 2021 car crash and nagging plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
“Plantar fasciitis is no fun and now I get to truly recover and heal and progress forward on this,” Woods said on Sunday.
“There are so many good things that I’ve been able to do physically – be able to hit the golf ball and practise and do everything in a standstill.
“But I haven’t been able to get from point A to point B and we’re obviously going to work on this.”
Woods, whose 82 PGA Tour titles put him level with Sam Snead for the career record, reflected on the progress he made from the 2021 event, when his recovery and future were unclear.
“A lot,” he said. “Last year, I played with a broken leg. This year, nothing was broken but it was good that all the pieces are there again all lined up.”
Woods managed only nine competitive rounds in 2022, finishing 47th at the Masters, withdrawing with leg pain after three rounds of the PGA Championship and missing the cut at the British Open.
“It was a tough year but also one of the more rewarding years I’ve had in a while,” he said.
He reflected on his emotions on playing at St Andrews, saying that while he plans to play again at the British Open, he might no longer be playing the next time the event is held on the famed Scottish course, with Opens scheduled elsewhere till 2025.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get back to playing St Andrews in a British Open but, to be able to experience that, maybe one last time at this level, was very special to me,” he said.
‘Walking penguins’
The Singhs, three-time runners-up, opened with seven straight birdies on the way to firing a 13-under 59 on Sunday to capture the 36-hole scramble at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida.
Singh, a 59-year-old former Masters champion, sank a five-foot birdie putt at the par-5 18th to give Team Singh a second 59 in a row, making them the first duo in the event’s history to break 60 twice in the same year.
Their record total of 26-under 118 was enough for a two-stroke victory over John Daly and son John and Justin Thomas and his father, Mike. Team Woods, who opened with a 59 to share second, struggled to a closing 65, with Woods happy to be alongside his 13-year-old son.
“It was an incredible week just to be able to play with Charlie,” he said. “We played great yesterday and today we were both like walking penguins out there.”
Woods, who turns 47 on Dec 30, said he could not predict his 2023 schedule but hopes to play in all four Majors. AFP
