In a presser for the Presidents Cup late last month, Tiger Woods was asked whether he could envision a future that did not involve him swinging a golf club. “Definitely,” he said, acknowledging the difficulties he faced in convalescing from a fourth back surgery in April. “My timetable is based on what my surgeon says,” he noted, his disposition upbeat even though he remained restricted from doing anything more strenuous than pitching. “I’m hitting 60-yard shots. I’m hitting it really straight,” he joked. Given his reaction and the contrast it presented vis-à-vis the competitive nature that hitherto netted him 79 tour championships, not a few pundits began to entertain a scenario that no longer had him toiling inside the ropes.
Fast forward three weeks, and the needle has apparently moved to the other extreme. These days, the talk is of Woods returning to the course, and sooner rather than later. The source of optimism: results of his latest checkup with Dr. Richard Guyer of the Texas Back Institute’s Center for Disc Replacement. Per Mark Steinberg, his longtime agent, in an interview with ESPN, “he got a nice report and is allowed to proceed. He can do as much as he needs to.” Which, in a nutshell, is why his latest videos on social media show him taking full and confident swings with a driver, and in his trademark Sunday red to boot.
Needless to say, Woods was making a statement with his public postings. Still, Steinberg cautioned against expecting him to see action in tournaments shortly. “Tiger is going to take this very, very slowly.” Evidently, the 14-time major titleholder has resolved to learn from his previous missteps and make his fourth comeback attempt a successful one. And as encouraging as his progress has been, “he plans to do it the right way.” So, no, there is no hurry, not even for the upcoming tournament he hosts annually for his foundation.
Which, in a nutshell, means Woods should be in the pink of health if and when he decides to tee it up with his peers. Make no mistake; the journey back to relevance, let alone dominance, will not be easy. Over the last two years, he has made just three starts, the last an aborted stint in February. Getting back into shape is one thing, and getting back into the groove is quite another. Then again, he is who he is, and if there’s anything his storied past has earned him, it’s the benefit of the doubt.
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.
