Tiger Woods: Fifteen-time major champion ‘not competitive right now’ as he returns to PNC Championship | golf news
Tiger Woods says his back is in better shape but “still has a long way to go” and is “not competitive right now” as he prepares to return to action at the PNC Championship.
Fifteen-time major champion Woods will play alongside 15-year-old son Charlie for the fifth time in the annual 36-hole father-son event in Florida, live. Sky Sports during Saturday and Sunday.
The 48-year-old underwent surgery in September to relieve “back spasms and pain” after making just 11 competitive starts since his car crash in February 2021, which also injured his right leg badly.
Woods opted out of the Hero World Challenge, the tournament he hosts, earlier this month and admitted there were times he thought he might miss out on bonding with his son, too.
On Friday, ahead of his first tournament since the Open Championship at Royal Troon in July, Woods said: “My leg is what it is. It’s still there. But I’ve struggled a lot with my back this year and it’s a lot better . But I still have a long way to go.”
Tiger: Road to recovery ‘tough’ and ‘frustrating’
Having to withdraw from the PNC Championship, Woods added: “I had moments.
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Charlie Woods helped dad Tiger on the court before the final round of The Masters at Augusta National in April
“That was one of the reasons I had the surgery earlier, so I could give myself the best chance to be with Charlie and be able to play.
“I’m not competitive right now, but I just want to be able to get the experience back.
“This has always been one of the highlights of the year for us as a family, and now we get to have that moment together again.
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“Preparing for competitive play is different. That takes months, weeks. But it starts with every day. You just do the little things, the everyday things, right, and they add up.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been through this process several times. It’s frustrating. I have an amazing team, but I have to do the little things every day and away from everyone. It’s hard.”
Woods: Scheffler is going to have an incredible year
Woods presented the Hero World Challenge trophy to Scottie Scheffler after the world No.1 claimed his 16th victory in less than three years by successfully retaining the title in the Bahamas.
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Hero World Challenge Round 4 Highlights as World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler Retains Title
Scheffler has won nine times in 2024 alone, including a second major at The Masters and Olympic gold in Paris, with Woods believing his fellow American’s success will continue.
Woods said of Scheffler, “I think it’s just that consistency over the last couple of years. He moves a lot in his swing, but if you look at the flight of the ball, he really doesn’t do much.
“He has an incredible feel for hitting the ball with the right number. That’s just an innate thing.
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“I think the way he’s handled the pressure and the expectations … he’s doing an incredible job. He’s just got it going. That’s the fun part of watching him develop. This is going to be the start of an incredible year .
“We can all make mistakes, we can all have hot runs. But how good is your villain? Everyone’s good out there, but their villain is really impressive.
“He doesn’t do too bad, he understands how not to make mistakes. Not making mistakes adds up.”
Watch the PNC Championship live Sky Sports Golf throughout the weekend. Saturday’s coverage begins at 4:00 p.m., and Sunday’s action will begin at 4:30 p.m. Stream the tournament with NOW.
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