Tiger Woods shed new light on the future of his professional golf career after being forced to withdraw from this week's Hero World Challenge. Woods has not featured since The Open Championship in July, and was set to take to the course in the Bahamas on Thursday.
However, his highly anticipated comeback has been delayed after developing plantar fasciitis which has ruled him out of this week's reduced field event. His foot problem is the latest fitness concern to hamper his progress.
Earlier this year, the 15-time major champion confirmed his career was now a part-time one as he continues to recover from severe injuries he suffered in a car accident in February 2021.
Since the crash Woods has featured just three times on the PGA Tour, playing in this year's Masters, PGA Championship, and Open Championship. On all three occasions the American has seemed physically uncomfortable with his right leg whilst competing.
And when addressing the media ahead of this year's event, Woods revealed there isn't 'much left' in his injured leg. He said: "The goal is to play the majors and maybe one or two more. Physically, that's all I can do. I don't have much left in this leg.
"I can hit whatever shot you want, I just can't walk. I've had a few setbacks throughout the year, that I was somehow still able to play through. But this one, I just can't. Only time can heal this one."
There have been calls for the golfing great to use a cart to prolong his playing career on the PGA Tour. However, Woods has had a firm stance against this idea from the beginning of his injury-hampered return, and he reiterated this on Tuesday.
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Explaining why he would not use a cart on the PGA Tour, Woods referred back to his former college teammate Casey Martin who won a landmark case of the Tour in 2001 that allows players with a legitimate disability to use a cart in competition, something Woods opposed.
"My teammate was Casey Martin, and what he did with the ADA, I voted against it," admitted the 15-time major champion. "I think [walking] is an integral part of the game at our level, and I will never take a golf cart until it's sanctioned."
