All eight vice captains were present for their segment of the Presidents Cup presser yesterday, and the scribes came prepared. All told, they had to answer 19 queries, and they did so with candor. Of course, it bears noting that 13 of those were directed at Tiger Woods, with just three truly about latest staging of the biennial event at Liberty National. And of the other six, one was about him. Needless to say, he remains the focus of attention, notwithstanding his prolonged convalescence from an eighth surgical procedure and the bulk of his work for the upcoming weekend occurring outside the ropes.
For fans, the good news is that Woods’ health has progressed to the point where he can move without pain. “I didn’t know if I was going to be here because I couldn’t ride in a cart. The bouncing hurt too much. Driving a car still hurt. So that’s all gone now, which is fantastic.” The not-so-good news is that he continues to be restricted to activities that do not require full rotation. In golfing terms, he cannot yet go beyond putting and chipping; as he noted in a post on his Web site last week and reiterated yesterday, 60-yard shots are the most he can do until his doctors give him the green light.
That said, it’s clear that Woods has been working out. “Six days a week,” he blogged, “alternating between the treadmill, bike riding, swimming, and lifting twice a day. My muscle tone is coming back, but I’m not in golf shape yet. That’s going to take time.” And it showed yesterday, although he emphasized that “it’s a process, and I’m in no hurry.” More significantly, he allowed for the possibility that he will no longer be able to resume his career. Quizzed on whether he could “see a scenario where you could not come back to competitive golf,” he stayed on point. “Yeah. Definitely. I don’t know what the future holds for me.”
First things first, though, and Woods is evidently enjoying the opportunity to be where the action is, even if from the outside looking in. “I had a great time [as a Ryder Cup assistant] last year, and having a blast this year. This is a great group of guys … and it’s a really fun time.” And, make no mistake, his role is crucial; skipper Steve Stricker had charged him with overseeing the prep work of one of three player groupings composed of Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Daniel Berger, and Patrick Reed.
Woods being Woods, the objective is certainly to win. This weekend, he figures to claim success vicariously. In the foreseeable future, it goes without saying that he will want to do it himself.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.
