THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Tiger Woods has started to hit balls with short irons and said he’s able to stabilize his rebuilt left knee. Six months after surgery to repair a ruptured ligament, the 14-time major champion said he’s right on schedule to play the Masters.
“I’ve just been training and trying to get healthy enough to compete next year,” Woods said Wednesday at Sherwood Country Club. “Everything has been right on schedule. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
The uncertainty is when he will return, and how his leg will respond when he goes through a full practice.
His plan was to start hitting balls in January, but he already has been chipping and putting, and taking full swings with short irons, shots that go no more than 100 yards.
“I haven’t hit full shots with my entire bag yet,” Woods said. “As far as coming back, I don’t know. I don’t know how it’s going to respond with repeated practice days and long days of practice trying to get back, and ultimately playing my way into shape. That’s obviously going to take a little bit of time.”
Woods, whose last meaningful shot was a tap-in for par on the 19th hole in a Monday playoff at the U.S. Open, has been saying for years he will walk away when his best isn’t good enough to win. But his longest break from golf might have given him a glimpse of what it’s like to stop playing.
“I don’t want to play when I know I can’t play at this level, at the highest of levels,” he said. “If you wanted me to go out there and play right now, I couldn’t stand to go out there and not be able to fully compete against these guys and not really give them a run for their money. I couldn’t handle that part of it. . . . As far as trying to make money off my buddies, I will always do that.”
