Tiger Woods must look in the mirror and still see a big red “S” on his chest. Clearly, Woods still believes he’s Superman if he’s ready to compete in a PGA tournament a week after reporting he was just beginning to hit full shots following recent back surgery.
Woods, who underwent microdiscectomy surgery on March 31 to alleviate pain caused by a pinched nerve in his back, announced Friday on his Facebook page he will make his much-anticipated return in next week’s Quicken Loans National at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.
The tournament not so coincidentally benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. Quicken Loans is in its first year as the title sponsor. Having Woods make his comeback at Congressional certainly benefits the foundation and will draw more eyeballs to the Quicken Loan commercials during the television and radio broadcasts. Still, the obvious question lingers: Is Woods rushing his return?
“After a lot of therapy I have recovered well and will be supporting my foundation next week at the Quicken Loans National,” Woods wrote on Facebook. “I’ve just started to hit full shots, but it’s time to take the next step. I will be a bit rusty, but I want to play myself back into competitive shape. Excited for the challenge ahead.”
That’s some next step, going from just starting to hit full shots to competing for potentially 72 holes of professional golf. That’s like starting to jog one day and running a marathon the next.
It was only a month ago, during the media day for his tournament, Woods said he had just begun chipping and putting a few weeks earlier and was looking forward to the day when he could start “ramping things up” by playing 36 holes a day. He also indicated his return would be up his doctors.
“It’s just, take it on a daily basis,” he said. “It’s not going to be up to me whether I play or not. It’s going to be up to my docs.”
Apparently, his docs have given him the green light, though with Woods you can never be so sure. At age 38, he already has had four surgeries to his left knee and battled injuries to his Achilles, elbow and neck. Yet, he probably is best remembered for winning the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines on virtually one leg. The other eventually required reconstructive surgery.
That Open was the most recent of his 14 major championships. But perhaps Woods still thinks he’s that guy who conquered Torrey Pines and Rocco Mediate on one leg. If Woods is confident he can play 72, fine. But a more cautious approach would be to continue rehabbing until the British Open July 17-20 at Royal Liverpool in England, where he won the 2006 British Open, and follow with the PGA Championship on Aug. 7-10 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., where he outdueled Bob May for the 2000 PGA title.
Instead, Woods said he wants to “play myself back into competitive shape.”
That doesn’t sound like somebody who’s necessarily playing to win. But that would go against everything we know about Woods.
Of course, there will be no discouragement from the PGA Tour. Woods hasn’t competed since March 19, when he shot a final-round 78 at the World Golf Championships at Doral. It left the Tour starved for attention, especially after a less-than-thrilling Masters was followed by an even less interesting U.S. Open.
Woods sounded like a regular guy when he talked last month about missing the sport.
“Forget about competing at the highest levels,” he said. “I just miss being out there and being around the golf course. I miss the game.”
The game has missed him.