Agent Refutes Claim That Tiger Woods’ Condition Has Worsened, When Will He Return?
Tiger Woods has not played in a PGA Tour event since last year’s Wyndham Championship in August, and according to a new report from golf journalist Robert Lusedich, it may be a while until Tiger returns to the golf course.
The past few years have not been kind to Tiger Woods. After a 2013 season that saw Tiger win five tournaments and the PGA Tour Player of the Year, he underwent microdiscectomy back surgery in 2014 that limited him to only seven tournaments, missing the cut in two of those starts. Woods only had one top 25 finish that year.
Although Tiger played a few more tournaments in 2015 — 11 to be exact — he missed the cut in five of those starts, including three straight major tournaments: the U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship. He had only three top 25 finishes, his best coming at the aforementioned Wyndham Championship, where he tied for 10th.
Tiger Woods’ improved play at the Wyndham seemed to suggest that things were turning around for the 79-time PGA Tour winner, but on September 18, it was announced on TigerWoods.com that Tiger had undergone a second microdiscectomy procedure two days earlier and would miss the rest of 2015. However, Tiger Woods remained optimistic about his recovery.
“This is certainly disappointing, but I’m a fighter. I’ve been told I can make a full recovery, and I have no doubt that I will.”
That recovery suffered a major setback when Tiger announced in October that he had undergone yet another back surgery to relieve some discomfort. Neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Rich, who performed the procedure, said that Tiger was doing well and was expected to make a full recovery. Tiger himself, while disappointed, still remained optimistic about his return.
“It’s one of those things that had to be done. I have an outstanding team of doctors, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Tiger Woods, who has not won a major tournament since the 2008 U.S. Open, was expected by many to return in early 2016, possibly for The Masters, but when talking about it at his event, the Hero World Challenge (Tiger hosted but did not play), Tiger indicated that there was no specific timetable for his return. His agent, Mark Steinberg, told ESPN the same thing just this past Friday, but this new report indicates that Woods’ return to the golf course will happen later rather than sooner.
I’m told #TigerWoods condition worsened. He can’t move well; painful to sit. Sits in car with seat fully reclined. No forseeable return. Sad
— Robert Lusetich (@RobertLusetich) February 22, 2016
About 90-95% of microdiscectomies – like #Tiger had – are successful.
He got unlucky.
Not to say career’s over, but no imminent return.
— Robert Lusetich (@RobertLusetich) February 22, 2016
Lusetich, who has written a book about Tiger Woods, not only tweeted these out this morning, but he also appeared as a guest on The Dan Patrick Show to discuss Tiger’s latest alleged setback.
However, in a tweet sent out shortly after the broadcast by Paul Pabst, a staff member of the popular radio show, a statement from Tiger Woods’ agent refutes Lusetich’s report.
Comment from Mark Steinberg, Tiger Woods’s agent: “The tweets that appeared this weekend about Tiger’s (cont) https://t.co/RyI2xusMYN
— Paul Pabst (@PaulPabst) February 22, 2016
This is the statement in its entirety.
“The tweets that appeared this weekend about Tiger’s health are ridiculous and absolutely false. It’s reprehensible that every few months someone makes something up and it’s treated like a real story. Tiger continues to work on his rehabilitation and we will have an accurate update at the appropriate time.”
It seems as if there’s still no clear-cut answer on when Tiger Woods will return.
[Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images]
