Tiger Woods has provided a positive injury update ahead of the PGA Championship. The golfing legend made his long-awaited return to the tour by participating in The Masters last month.
In his first tournament since 2020, the American made a promising start by making the cut, but was unable to challenge for the green jacket at Augusta. Despite appearing in some discomfort by the end of the event, Woods has taken time to receiver and feels better physically than he did a month ago.
He told Golfweek: “I’ve gotten a lot stronger since The Masters. We went back to work on Tuesday (after The Masters). “Monday was awful. I did nothing and Tuesday was leg day. So we went right back after it. Everything is better.”
Woods finished 47th at Southern Hills, but considering the devastating car crash could have left him needing amputation, seeing him grace a golf green once again was a prize in itself. Ahead of his participation in the PGA Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma this weekend, the 15-time major winner stressed the need to play more in order to improve his physical shape.
He added: “It’s only going to keep getting stronger. The more I use it, the more strength it gains. Am I ever going to have full mobility? No. Never again. But I’ll be able to get stronger. It’s going to ache, but that’s the way it’s going to be. I’m excited about (the PGA Championship).
“I’m not going to play that much going forward so anytime I do play, it’s going to be fun to play and compete. There are only so many money games you can play at home.” Woods is aiming to win his first PGA Championship crown since 2007 and has been tipped to perform even better than he did on his astonishing return to action at the Masters by two-time US Open champion Curtis Strange.
"We look back on it and it was fortunate he saved his leg," said Strange, who won the US Open in 1988 and 1989 and is now an analyst for broadcaster ESPN. He was fortunate to be alive, and there he is trying to play Augusta, and he did. When he just teed it up on Thursday I thought it was a victory of sorts, and I think he mentioned that as well.
"Then when he made the cut, I just thought it was terrific; terrific that he tried, terrific that he gave it an effort, terrific that he played pretty well for not playing in such a long time. I think he was pleased for the week, I really do, that he found out what he could do. And now he, not only we, but I think he'll expect a lot more out of himself as well."
