There is an old saying that man’s biggest fear is fear of the unknown.
When Tiger Woods sat down for a meeting with the media this week at the Hero World Challenge, it was a different Tiger Woods.
This was a Tiger Woods who is now facing a real fear — the fear of uncertainty.
Woods finds himself in a difficult place these days and it showed as he spoke about where his career may or may not be headed.
“There is no timetable for this and that’s the hardest adjustment,” Woods said when asked about the recovery time from his latest back surgery. He confirmed it was the third microdiscectomy and it was “the same spot,” Woods said.
He has not started any sort of rehab either. “I walk, I walk and I walk some more,” Woods said, sounding more somber than he has in recent memory.
“I take it day-by-day and hopefully that day-by-day adds up to something,” Woods continued.
The air of uncertainty led to the day’s most pressing question.
Woods was asked what the golfing world has asked over and over: What if he never wins again?
“Pretty much everything beyond this will be gravy,” Woods said without hesitation. “For my 20 years out here, I’ve achieved a lot. I’ve passed Jack (Nicklaus) on the all-time wins list and I’m close to Sam (Snead).”
“If that’s all it entails, I’ve had a pretty good run.”
Woods didn’t even talk about swinging a golf club. “Hopefully I can get well enough to play more soccer with my kids. If I can get to that, we can start talking about golf. Right now I’m not athletic. I’m really good at playing video games, that’s how I pass most of my time.”
Shocking admissions from a man who arguably is considered one of the most athletic players in golf.
Woods said he misses the game, misses not being “out there with the guys.”
But he was realistic at one point in the conversation taking into account the “what if?”
“If not, I’ll find other avenues,” he said of the possibility that his playing days could be over.
But it was the 5,000-pound elephant in the corner that apparently is weighing most on Woods.
It is the elephant of uncertainty.
“I don’t know, I really don’t,” Woods said. “Where is the light at the end of the tunnel?
“I don’t know.”
