Golf followers must wait a number of extra weeks to observe Tiger Woods play once more.
The 15-time main champion was pressured to tug out of this week’s Hero World Problem, a event he hosts within the Bahamas, due to plantar fasciitis in his proper foot.
Woods mentioned docs instructed him that the situation is said to extreme accidents he suffered to his proper leg and foot in a automotive wreck outdoors Los Angeles in February 2021. Woods additionally revealed that he had two further surgical procedures throughout the previous 12 months.
Woods, 46, mentioned he nonetheless deliberate to play in two occasions subsequent month as a result of he can use a cart. Woods and world No. 1 golfer Rory McIlroy will battle Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas within the newest version of The Match, which is scheduled to be performed on Dec. 10 at Pelican Golf Membership outdoors Tampa, Florida.
Woods is also slated to play together with his son, Charlie, within the PNC Championship in Orlando, Florida, on Dec. 17-18.
On Tuesday, Woods met the media for the primary time for the reason that one hundred and fiftieth Open Championship at St. Andrews in July. He spoke on a plethora of matters, together with his well being, future plans, the PGA Tour’s ongoing battle with LIV Golf and different topics throughout a 30-minute information convention within the Bahamas.
Have been you stunned you were not in a position to play within the Hero World Problem this week?
WOODS: Properly, as I used to be ramping up and needed to stroll extra, the more serious it obtained. So while you get plantar fasciitis, the worst factor you are able to do is stroll, and I used to be strolling increasingly more and extra, attempting to get my legs prepared for this occasion, and I simply saved making it worse. So [I] needed to shut it down and, sadly, be the host of the occasion and Ranger Rick out right here. So I can do this.
What’s your purpose for subsequent 12 months by way of what number of tournaments you need to play?
WOODS: The purpose is to play simply the main championships and possibly one or two extra. That is it. I imply, bodily, that is all I can do. I instructed you that [at] the start of this 12 months, too. I imply, I haven’t got a lot left on this leg, so gear up for the most important ones and hopefully, you recognize, lightning catches in a bottle and I am up there in rivalry with an opportunity to win. Hopefully, I bear in mind how to try this. However once more, giving myself an opportunity to get on the market once more. As I mentioned, I did not anticipate to play three majors this 12 months. We had been hoping for simply the British Open, however I used to be in a position to get two extra there, in order that was an enormous constructive.
It’s essential to have labored extremely arduous to get to the purpose the place you possibly can nearly play right here. I do know you may’t play. Is there ever part of you that thinks, “Why hold going? Why hold attempting this? I’ve obtained nothing else to show.”
WOODS: Properly, I like competing. You already know, I like sports activities. I have been taking part in it mainly all my life. And you recognize, really, I have been a professional for greater than half my life. So For those who take a look at it in these phrases, you recognize, I have been part of this sport and I’ve liked it. It is simply unlucky I am not in a position to do the issues that I really feel mentally I can do — the physique simply type of rejects it. Once I was at house, I used to be taking pictures 4, 5, 6, 7 beneath par prefer it was nothing, however I used to be in a cart. Now you add in strolling and that goes away. So I have to get to that time the place I can really stroll round and play that method, like all of you guys can. I am not ready to try this proper now.
Does the newest setback imply you’ve got regressed in your comeback?
WOODS: It is going to take most likely, you recognize, a month or two of relaxation. But in addition, it was the ramping-up course of that did it. It is a balancing act, proper? How arduous do you push it to make progress whereas not pushing it too arduous to go off the sting and also you set your self again two, three days, and that is been the balancing act the entire 12 months. And attempting to try this, prepare for this occasion, I did a number of seashore walks attempting to simulate the sand out right here and my foot simply didn’t like that very a lot.
Would you ever think about using a golf cart in a PGA Tour occasion?
WOODS: On the PGA Tour? No. On the sanctioned occasions the place it is allowed, sure, which is the Champions Tour, PNC, issues of that nature. My teammate was Casey Martin, OK, and what he did with the ADA (Individuals with Disabilities Act), I voted in opposition to it. I believe [walking] is an integral a part of the sport at our degree and I’ll by no means take a golf cart till it is sanctioned. It is sanctioned on the Champions Tour and the PNC is a part of that. So far as an everyday occasion, no, I might by no means do this.
Rory McIlroy mentioned in a printed report final week that he gave you COVID-19 shortly earlier than the Open Championship at St. Andrews. Have been you ever really examined?
WOODS: Yeah, I obtained examined. I used to be all the time detrimental. I used to be feeling beneath the climate, sure, wasn’t feeling nice the entire week, however I by no means obtained a constructive check.
For those who had been to return a 12 months in the past and look into the longer term, what sort of surprises you probably the most, or what did not you see coming?
WOODS: “Personally, for me, I hoped to possibly play the British Open [but] ended up taking part in three majors, which isn’t too unhealthy, all issues thought-about. I wasn’t anticipating to have a number of extra procedures due to taking part in, however that is simply the best way it goes. So far as the golf ecosystem, I do not assume any of us would have foreseen it being as difficult as it’s and convoluted because it has change into, and the animosity from each side. I do not assume we might’ve seen {that a} 12 months in the past.
Do you foresee a day when the PGA Tour and LIV Golf can coexist within the golf ecosystem?
WOODS: There’s a chance on the market if each organizations put a keep on their litigation, however that is the issue: They have to place a keep on it. And whether or not or not they do this or not, there is no willingness to barter when you have a litigation in opposition to you. So in the event that they each have a keep after which have a break after which they’ll meet and determine one thing out, then possibly there’s something available. However I believe [LIV Golf CEO and commissioner] Greg [Norman] has to go, initially, after which, clearly, litigation in opposition to us after which our countersuit in opposition to them, these would then must be at a keep as effectively. So then we will discuss, we will all discuss freely.
Proper now as it’s, not proper now, not with their management, not with Greg there and his animosity in the direction of the tour itself. I do not see that taking place. As Rory mentioned and I mentioned it as effectively, I believe Greg’s obtained to go away after which we will finally, hopefully, have a keep between the 2 lawsuits and determine one thing out. However why would you alter something should you’ve obtained a lawsuit in opposition to you? They sued us first.
Do the perimeters want to come back to some type of compromise quickly?
WOODS: Yeah, I do not know whether or not it will be me, Rory or the tour or different gamers being, I would not essentially say a peacemaker, however I simply assume that there is a window of alternative for us from each excursions to determine this out shortly. However I believe that window’s closing simply because the majors are arising now and they are going to have their very own standards for the majors. But when they’ll do it shortly earlier than that … however once more, that goes again to LIV and their lawsuit. They’re suing us first and we countersued them, in order that they must again off the desk, they may again off the desk after which we’ll have a spot to speak. However their management has to vary as effectively. If that does not, then I believe it will proceed to go down the trail that it is going proper now.
You and Rory McIlroy spoke to a gaggle of PGA Tour gamers earlier than the BMW Championship in Wilmington, Delaware, in August. Why do you assume it was vital so that you can be in that assembly and what was your message to the opposite gamers?
WOODS: Properly, the message is that we won’t compete greenback for greenback with [Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund], simply we bodily cannot do this. However what we will do is speak about higher alternatives for youthful gamers getting onto the tour, what it means to play the tour, how vital it’s, how vital it’s to have a legacy, [to] have the ability to win main championships.
As of proper now, we do not know the place the main championships stand on this. So should you’re a tour participant, you already know that you simply’re within the main championships, you are within the prime 50, so, OK, that is a assure, however the different gamers do not. They’re taking an opportunity of by no means ever, ever getting an opportunity to play in main championships. And so the place does your legacy stand there? You already know, I went on the [LIV] tour and made some huge cash, however I by no means obtained to win any tournaments which are of worth that might put me within the Corridor of Fame and issues of that nature.
So sure, there was a number of discuss of that and methods by which we will enhance purses, reward gamers which are extra seen than others that drive the [PGA] tour, reward them, and in addition give higher entry to the tour at completely different ages and in numerous methods than we ever have previously. So It was an extended assembly, a number of completely different choices had been put about and all of us had to consider it, sit again. Then we have had many subsequent conferences, FaceTime conferences, attempting to determine it out and make it higher and in addition labored with the tour to attempt to make it higher as effectively.
Rory has been as outspoken as you could have been about LIV Golf. What do you make of his management on the PGA Tour?
WOODS: What Rory has mentioned and completed are what leaders do. Rory is a real chief out right here on tour. The truth that he is really in a position to get the issues he mentioned out within the public eye, be so clear-minded with it and so eloquent with it; in the meantime, go on the market and win golf tournaments on prime of that, individuals do not know how arduous that’s to do, to have the ability to separate these two issues. However he is been implausible. He is an amazing chief in our calls we make, and he is an amazing chief with all of the gamers out right here. Everybody respects him and so they respect him as a result of not simply his ballstriking, his driving, however the particular person he’s.
How has the specter of LIV Golf modified the best way the PGA Tour works?
WOODS: There’s been some ebb and circulate, some give-and-take from gamers and the commissioners and their workers. I believe this 12 months extra so than every other time that we have had the openness to have the ability to discuss to our commissioner [Jay Monahan] and say, “These are issues that we need to get higher on the tour and here is a listing of them,” and precedence, too. Jay sat by a number of these conferences, a number of the convention calls and with Rory and I speaking to him too as effectively.
I believe we made some nice modifications, however how will we additionally replenish gamers which have left? That is clearly giving extra alternatives for gamers which are coming into the sport which are youthful, collegiate or novice, extra entry to it. The sport has gotten youthful, interval. I imply, guys are profitable majors of their mid-to-early 20s. But in addition we need to get youthful youngsters coming in right here and taking part in the sport of golf and experiencing the tour and experiencing what it is prefer to play in main championships and hopefully win them.
Phil Mickelson took a number of warmth for complaining concerning the PGA Tour. With all the things that has modified on tour, together with elevated purses, do you assume Mickelson is owed an apology?
WOODS: No, completely not, no. We took out an infinite mortgage throughout the pandemic by which if we had one other 12 months of the pandemic, our tour would solely be sustained for an additional 12 months. We took out an infinite mortgage. It labored, it paid off in our profit, therefore we had been ready to make use of that cash to make the will increase that we have made.
The place do you see the battle with LIV Golf ending up?
WOODS: We do not know. Nobody is aware of. Proper now, there’s a number of animosity, particularly from their management. And so they need to be a validated tour with world rating factors and so they’re shopping for up excursions around the globe. I do not know what their finish recreation is. It may be simply being an official member of the golf ecosystem and being acknowledged with world rating factors. I believe that is what their supposed purpose is.
You already know, they’ve spent most likely near $2 billion this 12 months. Who’s to say they cannot spend $4 [billion] or $5 billion subsequent 12 months? We simply do not know. It is an countless pit of cash. However that does not essentially create legacies both. You need to examine your self to [Ben] Hogan, you need to examine your self to [Sam] Snead, you need to examine your self to [Jack] Nicklaus. You may’t do this over there, however you may on this tour.
Is the continued animosity between the excursions good for golf?
WOODS: As I mentioned, I believe it has to begin with management on their facet. Understanding what is going on proper now, it isn’t in the very best match or future for the entire recreation of golf. Now, what’s one of the best ways for our recreation to develop? It is not this fashion. However granted, you have to have the 2 our bodies come collectively. If one facet has a lot animosity, somebody attempting to destroy our tour, then how do you’re employed with that?
You have gained the Participant Impression Program two years in a row, even after taking part in solely 9 rounds in three majors this previous season. What are your ideas on PIP?
WOODS: All the things evolves. I imply, take a look at the FedEx [Cup] iterations we have had. One of many years Vijay [Singh] did not even must tee it up. He did not even have to point out up for the final event, our season-ending occasion, and he would’ve gained the FedEx Cup. We have had completely different iterations of the FedEx Cup and there is no distinction with the PIP. I am positive we’ll have completely different iterations of that going ahead as effectively. There isn’t any good system. You need individuals who drive the tour, who’re most seen, and the those that watch golf due to these sure gamers [to] be rewarded for it. We’ve not discovered the proper mannequin for that but and hopefully we do someday quickly. We’re nonetheless engaged on it.
LIV Golf is making an attempt to get recognition from the Official World Golf Rating. What are your ideas on the present OWGR?
WOODS: Yeah, OWGR, it is a flawed system. That is one thing all of us right here acknowledge. The sector at [the DP World Tour Championship at] Dubai obtained much less factors than [the RSM Classic at] Sea Island and extra of the highest gamers had been there in Dubai, so clearly there is a flawed system. How do you repair it? You already know, these are conferences we will must have. We’ll must have it with [the OWGR] committee and because the predominant excursions which are concerned in it. By some means provide you with a greater system than is in place now. I bear in mind once I had an enormous lead in my profession, I did not must play a single event the following 12 months and I nonetheless can be ranked No. 1. We modified that system then. So it has been modified previously, and I am positive this will likely be modified hopefully quickly.
What is going to you bear in mind concerning the previous 12 months in males’s skilled golf?
WOODS: Properly, I believe this complete 12 months, it is a 12 months we did not anticipate to have occurred — the animosity, the angst after which the gamers leaving, after which the best way they confirmed their disregard or disrespect to the tour that helped them get to that time. Lots of issues I actually don’t love about it and there is sure gamers which are very up entrance with it and have declared it, and I respect them for that. However there’s additionally a flip facet to that, too, that I assumed was a little bit bit on the tasteless facet.
