Tiger Woods seems to have come to grips with the idea that he may never play professional golf again. After four back surgeries and a bout with prescription drugs this spring and summer, Woods gave a recent update that seemed encouraging. He's been hitting 60-yard shots and working out, but at the Presidents Cup on Wednesday, Woods said he knows that doesn't mean much yet. Woods remains wide-eyed about the future, but he knows that he, like every single golfer before him, cannot play forever.
Woods didn’t address his arrest or his acknowledgement that he’d entered a treatment facility to get help with handling a possible pain killer addiction. Asked if there were times during his off-the-course ordeal this last year that he wasn’t certain he’d even be able to help Stricker out with this team, Woods said: “Yeah, well, there were times when … I didn’t know if I was going to be able to be here because I couldn’t ride in a cart. The bouncing just hurt too much. Driving a car still hurt.
Woods has missed each of the major championships over the last two years. He tried to come back to competitive golf late last year and early in 2017, playing three tournaments. His last tournament was in January, when he withdrew after shooting a first-round 77 at the Dubai Desert Classic.
Asked what fuels him to want to come back, Woods said, “I think it’s fun. I’ve been competing in golf tournaments since I was — what — 4 years old? From pitch, putt and drive to playing major championships, it’s always been fun for me.”
For now, Woods’ only link to golf is his assistant captain duties, which he called “pure enjoyment about the competition [and] being with the guys.
