Tiger Woods admits frustration with recovery timeline

LOS ANGELES – Tiger Woods admitted the uncertainty of timing around a potential return to the PGA TOUR has the 82-time TOUR winner just as frustrated, if not more so, than his legion of fans.

Woods joined the broadcast booth with CBS Sports analysts Jim Nantz and Sir Nick Faldo during Saturday’s third round of The Genesis Invitational where he acts as tournament host with his TGR Foundation, and said he’s no closer to knowing when he may play again.

Woods is recovering from a serious car accident in the days after last year’s tournament at Riviera Country Club where he shattered the bones in his right leg and ankle. He provided optimism for his fans last December by partnering with son Charlie to be runner up at the two-day PNC Championship but stressed riding in carts during that event was a long way from a full TOUR return.

“You will see me on the PGA TOUR, I just don't know when and trust me I'd love to tell you that I'll be playing next week,” Woods said on the broadcast.

“But I don't know when, which is frustrating in that sense, because I've been down this road before with my back when I didn't know when I was going to come back.”

Woods was a spectator for the 2021 Genesis Invitational also as he was recovering from a fifth back surgery.

“It's hard because it's hard to not have goals out there,” Woods continued. “Like I want to play this event so I can set myself up for that mentally and physically and emotionally… (but) I don't have any of those dates in my head. I don't know yet.”

As he had revealed earlier in the week, Woods said just getting through walking 72 holes would still be too hard at this stage. His injuries remain a cause for concern and he all but ruled out a return for the Masters in April leaving speculation around July’s Open Championship at St. Andrews as a new target.

“I have not been running any marathons lately, none of that. I haven’t done any backflips or anything like that, no,” Woods said.

“I don’t know. I can hit balls. The hardest part is actually walking, and so, that’s going to take some time. I'm going to have to put in the time and effort at home and do all the beach walks and walk golf courses because it is very easy at Medalist to just hop in the cart and whip around and play a quick 18 or 36, but it's a little different deal than being out here with these guys and walking up and down the hills.

“(It’s) just the ankle mobility and over time the ankle swells, the foot swells, leg swells and that's just (going to take) time.”

The next big milestone for Woods is his Hall of Fame induction next month. The 82-time winner admitted to some butterflies ahead of the occasion and the speech he will give.

“It’s going to be nerve-wracking. A lot of reflecting coming up,” he said.