LA JOLLA, Calif. — The biggest question surrounding this year’s U.S. Open seems to be the state of Tiger Woods’ left knee. But for Colin Montgomerie, that question is no question at all.
“It will be the first score everyone looks for — to see if he’s 100 percent, if he’s as fit as he’s saying he is,” the Scotsman said Tuesday at Torrey Pines Golf Club. “And the answer to that is yes, because I just don’t think Tiger Woods would appear anywhere unless he was ready, and especially at a major championship.”
At a news conference Tuesday, Woods admitted that he’s yet to walk 18 holes since undergoing surgery in April, two days after the Masters. But he added that his knee won’t be the determining factor this week.
“There’s a little bit of the unknown. I haven’t played in a while,” Woods said. “But I’m excited about it; I’m really excited about getting out there and feeling that.”
The last time Woods took a hiatus from competition was after the death of his father in 2006. That season, Woods returned to the U.S. Open following an absence of nearly two months and missed the cut.
“When Dad passed away, coming back and playing was a lot more difficult than I thought,” Woods said. “This is totally different. You can’t compare the two mentally.”
