Tiger Woods confident for U.S. Open

Tiger Woods

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - Tiger Woods says he didn’t do any more damage to his left leg at the Players Championship and expects to play the U.S. Open next month.

Woods made it only nine holes last week at the Players - his shortest tournament ever - when he withdrew after nine holes because of what he described as a chain reaction of pain from his left knee to left Achilles and tightening in his calf. He shot 42 on the front nine.

On his Web site Monday, Woods said he irritated the knee and Achilles without making them worse. He said doctors have advised rest, cold water therapy and soft tissue treatment, which he said he already had been receiving.

“Aggravating my injury is very disappointing,” Woods said. “I’ll do whatever is necessary to play in the U.S. Open, and I’m hopeful I can be there to compete.”

The U.S. Open is June 16-19 at Congressional, where Woods won in 2009 at the AT&T National.

He did not say how long it would take to recover.

His Web site said he was doubtful to play at the Memorial Tournament, which begins June 2, while he tries to strengthen his leg. It said playing before the U.S. Open would be a “week-to-week” decision, although Woods has never played the week before the U.S. Open and has never played the St. Jude Classic in Memphis.

Woods reported a mild sprain of the medial collateral ligament and a mild strain of his Achilles from hitting a shot off the pine straw under the Eisenhower Tree on the 17th hole of the Masters in the third round. He played the final round and shot 67.

He said he did not practice until Monday of the Players, and did not play any golf until his practice rounds. Woods looked fine during the 9-hole practice rounds he played last week, and swing coach Sean Foley said he was pleasantly surprised to see Woods look as though he had not lost much from when he last played in the Masters.

Woods said he hurt himself on the opening tee shot at Sawgrass.

“The knee acted up, and then the Achilles followed after that, and then the calf started cramping up,” Woods said after he withdrew. “Everything started getting tight, so it’s just a whole chain reaction.”

If he plays at Congressional, he likely will have played nine holes of competition between the Masters and the U.S. Open.

Minutes before the statement was posted on his Web site, Woods said on Twitter, “Bummed that my left leg has me on the sidelines, but I want, and expect, to be at the U.S. Open. Will do all I can to get there.”

It would not be the first time Woods has played the U.S. Open with so little competition. When he won his last major at the 2008 U.S. Open, he had not played a tournament in two months because of arthroscopic surgery on his left knee immediately after the Masters. Doctors later discovered stress fractures in his left leg. Woods wound up winning at Torrey Pines in a 19-hole playoff.

AP

한글 관련 기사 [연합]

우즈, 내달 US오픈 출전할 듯

타이거 우즈(미국)는 17일 올 시즌 두 번째 메이저대회인 US오픈에 출전할 수 있다고 자신의 인터넷 홈페이지를 통해 밝혔다.

지난 13일 미국프로골프(PGA) 투어 플레이어스 챔피언십에 참가했다가 1라운드 중 왼쪽 무릎 통증을 이유로 기권한 우즈는 "특별한 추가 증상이 없다"며 내달 US오픈에 출전할 가능성이 크다고 말했다.

111회째인 올해 US오픈은 6월16부터 나흘간 미국 메릴랜드주 베테스다의 콩그레셔널 골프장에서 열린다.

그러나 우즈는 "US오픈 2주 전에 열리는 메모리얼 토너먼트에는 출전이 어려울 것"이라며 US오픈 이전의 대회에 출전할지는 임박해서 결정하겠다는 뜻을 밝혔다.