From a balcony on the clubhouse, Tiger Woods could see Riviera in all its glory Wednesday under a blue sky, a sliver of the Pacific Ocean visible over the tops of trees and below him a course reputed to be as good as any on the PGA Tour. (More Sports News)
He바카라s expecting the course to be firm and fast, with the plan for the greens to get increasingly difficult. And then he interrupted himself with a realization Woods has come to accept.
바카라Well,바카라 he said with a smile, 바카라I can바카라t tell you guys the plan because I바카라m not playing.바카라
He is the tournament host of the Genesis Invitational, nothing more. And that바카라s all he will be until his legs are healed enough from a harrowing car crash a year ago about 20 miles away from Riviera.
At best, Woods figures he would only be able to play a few events each year. But that starts with being able to compete while walking. Most frustrating is not knowing when that will be.
He said his golf has been limited since playing with his son two months ago in the PNC Championship, where he could ride in a cart.
바카라My leg was not in very good position there about a year ago and I바카라ve had to work through a lot of different operations and a lot of different scenarios,바카라 Woods said Wednesday. 바카라It바카라s been tough, but I바카라ve gotten here. I바카라ve gotten this far and I still have a long way to go. Each and every day바카라s a fight and I welcome that fight바카라
It was the Tuesday after the Genesis Invitational last year when Woods was driving along a winding road in the Los Angeles suburbs. His SUV was going around 85 mph when it ran over the median and tumbled down a hill.
Bones were shattered in his right leg and foot, injuries so severe that Woods said doctors contemplated amputation at one point.
바카라I think at this point we바카라re all just happy that he바카라s around and moving well, and he바카라s able to be a dad, just be this tournament바카라s host and do all that sort of stuff,바카라 Rory McIlroy said.
Woods inspired hope he could return when he played the PNC Championship with his son. He and Charlie finished one shot behind. Overlooked in the performance was Woods was in a cart on a flat Florida course.
바카라Being a weekend warrior is easy. That바카라s not that hard,바카라 Woods said. 바카라Hit your ball, hop in a cart, ride, barely step out of the cart, grab your club and hit the next one. And the longest walk you have is probably from the cart to the green and back. But walking a golf course? That바카라s a totally different deal.바카라
He also mentioned how difficult it was to get loose after his four back surgeries, a remarkable recovery made complete when he won the 2019 Masters for his 15th major. He was recovering from a fifth back surgery when he crashed his car.
Not to be overlooked is Woods is 46. The older he gets, the longer it takes to heal.
바카라I바카라ve got a long way to go,바카라 he said, repeating a theme he mentioned in the Bahamas and in Florida, the other two times he has been in the public eye since the accident.
Augusta National is the toughest walk of the four majors, and it would seem unlikely Woods will play. He didn바카라t sound interested in playing the Par 3 tournament (a short walk, but still a walk), though he likely will be at the Masters for the champion바카라s dinner.
For now, he spends time reading (most Dean Koontz), playing video games and spending more time 바카라 he has plenty of that 바카라 on his foundation.
He made it clear in December he would never again play a full schedule. That hasn바카라t changed. Now it바카라s a matter of when he can play at all. Woods didn바카라t offer specifics on the shape of his right leg except to smile and say, 바카라My right leg does not look like my left, put it that way.바카라
Whenever he returns, for however long, anticipation will be as great as ever. Adam Scott thought back to the news from the Feb. 23 crash last year and recalls the shocking reports.
바카라You couldn바카라t help but think really, 바카라Will he ever play again or walk?바카라 We just didn바카라t really know,바카라 Scott said. 바카라So it was brilliant to see him play at the back end of last year and pretty good, to be fair, for a guy who바카라s had to recover from such a serious accident. That바카라s on a positive note.
바카라Hopefully, he바카라s going to be able to play a little bit more,바카라 Scott said. 바카라It will be a sad day whenever the day comes when we don바카라t see him play at all, but it seems like he바카라s hinted that he바카라s going to play here and there. I think we should all enjoy that.바카라
