Tiger Woods has reiterated that there is no timetable for his return to competitive golf, despite giving a positive update about his recovery from back surgery.
Woods, 40, posted a video of himself hitting a shot in an indoor simulator last week following suggestions he found it painful to sit down and was unable to move well. Jack Nicklaus also said the former world No. 1 was “feeling great” and looked “very healthy” while attending a dinner for potential Ryder Cup players during the Honda Classic.
Writing on his official website, Woods, who is now ranked 446 in the world, said: “As I announced last week, I am starting to feel a lot better. I have been chipping and putting at home, and recently started hitting 9 irons. That’s been so nice. After all, Florida is the Sunshine State.
“My son Charlie and I compete in just about everything and have three-hole chipping contests. The loser has to do push-ups. My short game feels pretty sharp.
“The big thing right now is trying to get stronger and more flexible. Sitting out as long as I did, some weakening occurred, and I have a lot of work ahead of me.
“While there is no timetable on my return to competitive golf, I want to play this game at the highest level again. In order to do that, I have to get healthy. I’ve received many nice calls and texts from my fellow PGA Tour players and want to thank them for their support and encouragement. It’s a fraternity out there, and we’re all in this together.”
In December, Woods – who won the last of his 79 PGA Tour titles in 2013 – also used his website to reflect on his struggles in 2015.
“It was a tough year physically and took a toll on my body,” the 14-time major winner wrote. “I had to battle through a swing pattern change and get that organised, because it was awful at the beginning of the year. I didn’t play for the longest time because I was stuck.’
“The frustrating part was not being able to build on it throughout the year. To finally have it switch and turn in the last event I played at the Wyndham Championship, and then lo and behold, I can’t physically do it anymore. I’ve had two back surgeries since then, so it’s been a roller-coaster ride the entire year, from being down to some pretty darn good highs.”