NASSAU, Bahamas — Tiger Woods has spent his entire career raising the bar and expectations.
On Tuesday, he lowered them.
Woods’ brilliant playing career, which has produced 15 major championships among his PGA Tour record-tying 82 overall victories, elevated expectations for himself to almost unrealistic heights for two decades.
On Tuesday at his hosted Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Club, the 45-year-old Woods made his first public appearance since his frightening February car crash and spent the better part of his 38-minute first public interview lowering expectations of a comeback to competitive golf in the future.
He made it abundantly clear he’ll never again be able to play a full schedule, but said his hope is to be able to play select events. Woods said he’s spoken to his family asking if they’re OK with him attempting yet another comeback, but he said he doesn’t know if he’ll even be up to it.
And that’s OK. Because Woods owes us nothing.
After the career he’s had, all the wins and the way he elevated the game, inspired the current era of uber-talented athletes who dominate the sport today, Woods has more than done his part — even if he never did achieve the goal he craved most, breaking Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships.
Tiger WoodsAPWoods said he has the blessing of his family if he wants to try to climb back.
“Now, internally, I haven’t reached that point,” Woods said. “I haven’t proven it to myself that I can do it. I can show up here and I can host an event, I can play a par-3 course, I can hit a few shots, I can chip and putt, but we’re talking about going out there and playing against the world’s best on the most difficult golf courses under the most difficult conditions. I’m so far from that.
“I have a long way to go to get to that point. I haven’t decided whether or not I want to get to that point. I’ve got to get my leg to a point where that decision can be made.”
Last week, Woods posted a three-second video on his social media accounts of him hitting a golf ball accompanied with the caption, “Making progress.” It just about blew up the internet and sparked breathless speculation about when he’ll return to competition.
A report surfaced that the father/son tournament in Florida that Woods played in with his son, Charlie, last year (the last event he played in before the accident) was holding a spot open for him for this year’s event, which takes place in fewer than three weeks.
Las Vegas responded to the video by actually setting odds on Woods winning the Masters in April, one sportsbook having him at 35/1 to win his sixth Green Jacket.
I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one in the newspaper, but I watched the gingerly way Woods walked into his Tuesday interview and out of it and he didn’t look like someone who was going to be able to compete five months from now or in three weeks.
Based on the way Woods talked and walked on Tuesday, Vegas should adjust those odds to something closer to 3,500/1.
“I don’t foresee this leg ever being what it used to be, hence I’ll never have the back what it used to be,” Woods said. “And the clock’s ticking. I’m getting older, I’m not getting any younger. All that combined means that a full schedule and a full practice schedule and the recovery that it would take to do that, no, I don’t have any desire to do that.”
Woods hinted at playing select events when he’s well enough, and knowing how intensely goal-oriented he is, expect that to happen, because he’d very much like to break the tie at 82 between him and Sam Snead for most PGA Tour wins in history.
“I’ve come off surgeries before, I’ve come off long layoffs and I’ve won or come close to winning before,” he said. “So, I know the recipe for it. I’ve just got to get to a point where I feel comfortable enough where I can do that again.”
One morsel Woods did allow to trickle out of his closely guarded fortress was the possibility of his return to competition being the 150th British Open in July at St. Andrews. It’s a place where he’s won two Claret Jugs and it’s an extremely flat golf course, which would make it easiest on Woods physically.
“I would love to play at St. Andrews, there’s no doubt about it,” Woods said. “It’s my favorite golf course in the world. To be a two-time Open champion there, just being a part of the champions dinner is really neat. Physically, hopefully I can. I’ve got to get there first. [The] tournament’s not going to go anywhere, but I need to get there.”
Here’s hoping he does, because the game is more interesting with him in it.
