Tiger Woods makes a miraculous recovery and will contest the PGA Championship
BARELY able to tie his shoes three days ago, Tiger Woods insists he “is feeling good” after recovering in time to contact the US PGA Championship.
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BARELY able to tie his shoes three days ago, Tiger Woods is ready to play at the PGA Championship.
That’s a headline in itself, but then throw this into the mix: Woods underwent a ridiculous surgery to have a bone put back in his back.
“I feel good,” Woods told USA Today.
“Once the bone was put back in, it’s all good. The inflammation has been down, I’ve had range of motion.”
Woods’ sacrum — a large bone at the base of the spine — had popped out and was causing spasms.
So the bone had to be put back in.
“I’m not in any pain. That is the good part. My range of motion was good.
Tiger Woods
Woods finally arrived at Valhalla overnight, leaving him enough time to play nine holes on a golf course he has not seen since he won the PGA Championship 14 years ago.
He says the back injury that caused him to withdraw Sunday at the Bridgestone Invitational was not related to the pain that required surgery on March 31.
He says his trainer was able to fix the problem, and once he felt he had full range of motion, he was ready to tackle the final major of the year.
Woods easily slipped into golf shoes, and he played nine holes with Davis Love III, Steve Stricker and Harris English without showing a trace of pain.
Barring a victory, this likely will be his last tournament for at least six weeks.
“I felt pretty good about how I played and the shots I hit,” Woods said of his round.
“My range of motion was good. My firing sequence was back to normal. If my sequencing is good then it’s all good.”
Woods, who drew a huge crowd with every move after his playing status had been in doubt for the past two days, showed no trouble with driving distance after what looked like a typical practice session, saying he was pain free despite only putting on the back nine.
“I’m not in any pain. That is the good part,” Woods said.
“I need to get more feel for how this golf course is playing. It’s a totally different course than what I played in 2000. These greens are all different. There are some new things that we have to learn.”
Woods, whose most recent of 14 major wins came at the 2008 US Open, is scheduled to start off the 10th tee tomorrow morning alongside two other past PGA Championship winners, fellow American Phil Mickelson and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington.
“Just play well. That’s the only thing I can control,” Woods said of his goals. “Try to go out there and win this event. That’s all I’m focused on.”
— with wire agencies
Originally published as Tiger Woods makes a miraculous recovery and will contest the PGA Championship
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