Woods: Not returning until healthy

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Penn. - Tiger Woods is no longer using crutches, a walking boot or a razor. He hasn’t hit a full golf shot in 47 days and has no idea when he will practice, much less play in another tournament.

All he could say with certainty Tuesday was that he would not return until he was fully healthy.

“Usually I set a timetable when I want to come back and play when I’ve had injuries before,’’ Woods said at the AT&T National, which benefits his foundation. “This one is different. I’m going to learn my lesson from what I did at The Players and apply it this time and come back when I’m 100 percent. I don’t know when that’s going to be.

“That’s kind of the frustrating thing about it right now is I don’t know.’’

While he did not rule out the British Open, which starts July 14 at Royal St. George’s, he made it sound as though he would miss another major championship.

“I wouldn’t go over there just to show up,’’ he said. “I’d go over there to win the golf tournament, so I need to obviously get my body ready so I can practice, and eventually play.’’

He’s not doing much of anything at the moment. Woods watched the U.S. Open and was amazed at how Rory McIlroy matched his record by building a six-shot lead after 36 holes, then continued to crush his competition in winning by eight shots.

With shared parenting of his two kids, he has watched more cartoons than he ever did as a child.

“What’s actually really tough to watch now all the time is ‘Dora.’ That song is just brutal,’’ he said.

And for the first time in public, he was sporting a full beard, though nothing that compares with Lucas Glover.

Woods has not played since May 12 when he withdrew after nine holes from The Players Championship. That was his first tournament since “minor injuries’’ to his left knee and Achilles in the third round at the Masters.

He said it was borderline whether he should have played at TPC Sawgrass, a decision he now regrets. Had he skipped The Players, Woods said he would be playing now.

So what was he doing at Sawgrass?

“I’ve played in pain before and I’ve played injured, and I’ve played through it, and I’ve been very successful at it,’’ Woods said. “There has been a number of years where I’ve been hurt more than people could possibly understand, and I’ve played and I’ve won. I just felt that it was good enough to give it a go, and I did. And I hurt myself.’’

But there was something about this injury - perhaps the state of his game or the clock ticking on his career - that caused him to stop being so stubborn when it comes to his health.

He said this injury wasn’t even as bad as some of the others.

“But I hurt myself again,’’ he said. “It’s time to actually have a different approach. It’s time.’’

Assuming he misses the British Open, the next tournament Woods typically plays is the Bridgestone Invitational, which starts Aug. 4 and precedes the final major of the year. The FedEx Cup playoffs are after that, although only the top 125 qualify and Woods is at No. 114 - and not moving up because he’s not playing.

Woods, however, said he would be surprised if the year ended without him playing again. This isn’t a repeat of 2008, when he missed the last six months of the year after reconstructive knee surgery. He said his knee and Achilles are getting better.

“I’d be very surprised because I’m progressing,’’ he said.

AP

한글 관련 기사 [연합]

타이거 우즈 “100% 회복돼야 필드로 돌아온다”

브리티시오픈 등 잔여 대회 출전 힘들 듯

추락한 '골프황제' 타이거 우즈(미국)의 올 시즌 대회 참가 여부가 불투명해졌다.

우즈는 미국프로골프(PGA) 투어 AT&T 내셔널 개막을 이틀 앞둔 28일(이하 현지시간) 펜실베이나아주 뉴타운 스퀘어에서 기자회견을 열고 "몸 상태가 완벽해질 때까지 대회에 출전하지 않겠다"고 밝혔다.

왼쪽 무릎 부상 때문에 40일이 넘도록 대회 출전을 하지 않고 있는 우즈는 "대회에 나가 우승하고 싶지만 몸 상태를 완벽하게 만들어야 한다"고 덧붙였다.

이에 따라 우즈는 7월14일 잉글랜드의 로열세인트조지 골프장에서 개막하는 시즌 세 번째 메이저대회 브리티시오픈은 물론 다른 대회 출전도 힘들 것이라는 전망이 나오고 있다.

우즈는 지난 5월 12일 플레이어스 챔피언십 1라운드에서 기권한 뒤 47일 동안 연습도 제대로 하지 못했다고 털어놓았다.

대학 시절부터 무릎 부상에 시달려온 우즈는 지난 4월 마스터스 대회에서 무릎을 또 다쳐 치료를 받았다.

이 때문에 우즈는 자신이 설립한 재단이 주최하는 AT&T내셔널 대회에도 출전하지 못한다.

우즈의 치료 기간이 길어지면서 잭 니클라우스(미국)의 메이저대회 최다승 기록(18승) 경신에도 적신호가 켜졌다.

그러나 우즈는 "니클라우스는 46세 때도 우승했다. 내게도 아직 충분한 시간이 남아있다"며 자신감을 보였다.

우즈는 2008년 US오픈 우승 이후 승수를 추가하지 못해 3년이 넘도록 메이저대회 14승에 머물러 있다.