TIGER WOODS HAS yet to hit a ball since undergoing two operations on his troublesome back and this afternoon was unable to say whether he’ll play at all in 2016.
The former world number one revealed he has no date for his return after surgery and hinted that he was facing up to the possibility of ending his illustrious career prematurely due to injury.
Woods, who turns 40 at the end of this month, cut a frustrated figure at a press conference in advance of the Hero World Challenge – a tournament which benefits his foundation.
He also admitted that any good golf from this point would be ‘gravy’ on top of what he’s already achieved.
“Therein lies the tough question and tough answer,” Woods said when asked about his return.
“I don’t have an answer for that. … There is no timetable. That’s the hardest part for me. There’s nothing I can look forward to, nothing I can build towards.
“Where is the light at the end of the tunnel?”
Woods has fallen to 400th in the world after struggling with form and fitness in recent years. He underwent microdiscectomy surgery to remove a fragment that was causing a pinched nerve in September. He then had another surgery to aid discomfort in October.
Woods played in only 11 events in 2015 because of his fitness problems, having played only seven tournaments the previous year.
“It’s different than the other surgeries,” Woods said. “For nerves, there is no timetable.”
When asked about his rehab process, the 14-time major winner replied: “I walk. And I walk some more.
“For my 20 years out here I achieved a lot. If that’s all it entails then I’ve had a pretty good run. But I’m hoping that’s not it. I really do miss it.”
Last month, Woods was named as one of the USA’s vice-captains for next year’s Ryder Cup.
