Tiger Woods has provided an unexpected injury update ahead of the launch of his new TGL Golf League next year and the the 15-time Major champion couldn’t resist have a pop at rival tour LIV at the same time. All-time great Woods has not swung a club competitively since he was forced to withdraw from the third round of The Masters at Augusta National back in April. He subsequently underwent a subtalar fusion on his right ankle and has been recovering ever since.
Woods appeared to be limping when he made a visit to the WWT Championships in Mexico last weekend, which was played on a course that he designed himself, but he appeared to be far more comfortable when caddying for his son Charlie at a junior event in Florida last week.
Hopes have been raised that the American could return to action at either the Hero World Challenge or PNC Championship next month. Woods himself has now provided some further information on the state of his health – but didn’t give any indication when he’ll make his comeback.
In a statement provided to the Associated Press, he said: “My ankle is fine. Where they fused my ankle, I have absolutely zero issue whatsoever. That pain is completely gone. It’s the other areas that have been compensated for.
“But all the surrounding areas are where I had all my problems and still do. You fix one, others have to become more hypermobile to get around it, and it can lead to some issues.”
Referring to his weekend activity with son Charlie, he added: “I’m pretty sore after caddying for four days. It was a flat course, thank God.”
Long walks won’t be an issue for Woods when his new TGL team golf competition launches in January. The 47-year-old co-owns the operation with fellow PGA Tour star Rory McIlory, but instead of traipsing around a long course, the entire event is played on a state-of-the-art simulator which will be housed in a purpose-built 2000-seater indoor arena, alongside a special chipping area and putting green.
Woods’ participation in the inaugural event was assured after he was confirmed to be the co-owner and player of a team called Jupiter, named after where he lives in Florida. After launching his new team, he was keen to point out the differences between TGL and the PGA’s rival LIV Golf, which is also team-based.
Don’t miss…
Rory McIlroy explains LIV Golf vs TGL differences with dig at Saudi rebel league[FEUD]
PGA Tour chiefs make huge LIV Golf U-Turn that could save merger[U-TURN]
Golf star breaks down during interview as win dedicated to terminally-ill friend[HEARTBREAKING]
- Support fearless journalism
- Read The Daily Express online, advert free
- Get super-fast page loading
Woods said: “Some of the stuff I’ve seen in LIV… I couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on. Here it’s very simple. Through its use of technology, TGL is a modern twist of traditional golf and ultimately will make the sport I love more accessible.
“Having the opportunity to not only compete, but also own a team to represent Jupiter is an exciting next chapter for me. I expect Jupiter Links GC to showcase the golf culture of my hometown as we compete against the best players in the world.
“Generally, golf takes about five or six hours to play. In today’s world, with all of our smartphones, it is hard for anybody to go five to six hours without looking at their phones. So the shorter the time, the better it is.”
Source: Read Full Article