If you gave Tiger Woods his choice of a pain-free rest of his life with the condition he never plays competitive golf again, his choice would be quite easy.
Woods had his first back surgery in December, 2002, to get rid of pain and allow him to play competitive golf again.
Same for the second surgery three years ago.
Ditto for the third in 2015.
This fourth one has nothing to do with golf and everything to do with living a normal, pain-free life. Woods knows it, everyone knows it even if there are those who won’t admit it.
This fourth surgery came out of desperation, not necessity.
No one wants four surgeries of any kind.
Woods had reached desperation.
Just listen to the testimony of Jack Nicklaus after he sat close to Tiger at the Masters Champions dinner a few weeks ago.
“He was miserable.”
Nicklaus made that point last week at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri, where ironically, Woods showed up on Tuesday and tried to hit a couple of short wedge shots. Look at the video and you see a man in pain. Despite that, Woods still gave the false report that his back “was progressing.”
He left out four key words that would have revealed the truth, that his back: “was progressing toward a fourth surgery.”
It’s done. He’s going to be home and on the shelf. Another lost year.
So the restart button has been pushed once again on the Comeback Of Tiger Woods.
Someone who once spent a lot of time with Woods is pouring some cold water on the notion of Woods wanting to come back.
Let’s listen for a moment to swing instructor Hank Haney:
“I don’t believe Tiger is that enthralled with this whole comeback idea. I think that’s something people have wrong. That’s one of the biggest misconceptions, I think, that he’s just snowed the media on. The media know that when Tiger says something, you can’t take it for just what he said because he’s not giving you everything. But they still believe that he’s got this burning desire to come back and play. I don’t think he does.”
Haney also went on to declare Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships impossible for Woods to attain.
Said Haney:
“First off, that’s never going to happen. Come on people, get real.”
With this latest development in the ongoing Tale Of The Tiger, it’s hard to say what is real and what isn’t.
The way golf works, the stars rarely sit down and conduct a “retirement announcement.”
This is a sport where the biggest names have slowly faded from the limelight, often conducting something akin to a “farewell tour” as far as the majors go.
By the time 2018 rolls around in eight months, it will be going on 10 years since Woods last won a major championship.
When you go back and re-read Woods’ statement last week, playing golf was third on his list. First, he wants a normal life, second, he wants to play with his kids.
Haney may be right. You wonder if there is any more “burning desire?”
You wonder how much Woods can or will even want to practice?
Woods often throws out that “he misses being out there with the guys.”
Most of the guys he came up with are now on their way down. His closest golf buddies — guys like Mark O’Meara and John Cook, are hidden away on the Champions Tour.
In case Woods hasn’t noticed, the top players are getting stronger and better, a lot of them are considerably younger than the 42 he’ll turn in December. His world ranking last week was 788.
So yes, Hank Haney has some very valid points.
Comeback?
Who knows.
As Haney was quick to point out, Woods never gives everything when it comes to information.
The talk can die down for now.
Tiger can do what he likes best and that’s stay out of the public eye.
