Tiger Woods Still Recovering From Back Surgery, Return

Tiger Woods is now retiring?

His last major win came at the US Open in 2008 and his 10th in the Wyndham Championship was his best finish on the PGA Tour for almost two years.

Woods, whose career has been tabled indefinitely by yet another back surgery, sounded more pessimistic than he’s ever been while addressing the litany of physical ailments that have interrupted his career throughout the last seven years.

Despite Tiger Woods’ pessimistic remarks over the future of his golfing career, Brandt Snedeker is confident that the 14-time major champion will compete at the highest level again. When asked about his potential return, he said, “I’ve no answer”.

“So where is the light at the end of the tunnel?”

If this is indeed the end though, it would be a sad ending for one of golf’s most celebrated superstars.

But the current world number one, defending his title at the Hero World Challenge which benefits the Tiger Woods foundation, believes he will continue to influence the game regardless of whether he returns to playing. The resultant scandal affected him both professionally and personally – after his divorce, Woods’s form plummeted as he slid down the rankings. ESPN reports that Woods had a “microdiscectomy to deal with disc issues” and now he has had three back surgery procedures over the past year and a half. “Hopefully the day-by-day adds up to something positive here soon”, he added. Really good. I swear, that’s basically how I pass a lot of my time. And I walk. I’m just walking, and that’s it.

As much as the odds are stacked against him, and with the one accolade that has driven him to this point now essentially gone, Woods still can’t bring himself to concede defeat.

In past press conferences when Tiger withdrew or discussed his injuries, Woods led us on with a sense of hope, a sense that everything would be O.K. He would use his world class work ethic to get back on the course. “I walk.” He plays videos games and pines to mix it up with his kids in the back yard.

“I don’t have an answer as to when I will be back”.

When Woods was revealed as a Ryder Cup vice-captain, he still had a shred of optimism that he’d be at Hazeltine in a playing capacity, saying “once I’m fully healthy, I’d like to try to make the team too”. He said there is not a timetable for how nerves heal and it all depends on how his back surgery turns out and if they heal so he can come back.

For the first time in his life, Woods is hopeful rather than confident he will be back. Golf without him doesn’t bear thinking about. And if that’s all it entails, then I’ve had a pretty good run.