Tiger Woods remains optimistic that he can still win on Tour despite his struggles with injuries, and says it’s a matter of “putting it all together for 72 holes”.
Playing alongside his son Charlie at the PNC Championship, Team Woods finished the 36-hole scramble event tied fifth, following rounds of 64 and 61 for a 125-total, six back of the winning duo Bernhard and Jason Langer.
Charlie, 14, and his 15-time Major winning father were the center of attention for much of the week, and the pair didn’t disappoint in putting on a show.
However, discussions afterwards soon turned to what lies in store for Woods next year, and how his body is coping with competitive golf once again.
Woods went under the knife in April following his withdrawal from the Masters, before making his return to action at the Hero World Challenge in early December, where he finished 18th in a 20-man field.
Woods looked in good shape when he returned to competitive action at the Hero World Challenge
Asked whether he’d thought about his prospects of winning again, the 82-time PGA Tour winner replied: “I think that given the fact that if I'm able to practise and do the things that I know I can do, and prepare, I know that I can still do it. I can still hit the golf ball.
“It's just a matter of prepping and get enough reps in and get enough work in and being right physically, and endurance capability of it.
“I haven't had the leg good enough where I've been able to compete and play a lot of rounds. I've had a lot of procedures over the years, and that's just part of it.
“I know if I can practise, I know I can still do it. I can still hit the golf ball. I can still chip. I can still putt. Granted it's also putting it all together for 72 holes. That's the challenging part of it.”
Tiger Woods hasn't won since the Zozo Championship in 2019
Woods’ last win came at the Zozo Championship in October 2019, which saw him move alongside Sam Snead on 82 PGA Tour titles.
Whether Woods can break Snead’s record doesn’t so much depend on whether he’s still good enough – he insists he “still has game” – but whether his body can cope after suffering with so many different injuries throughout his career.
Woods admits it’ll be a challenge.
“A lot of things are aching a lot more than my ankle, which is the way it goes. I'll be able to walk and play. We've been working out hard, been able to recover.
“We've been training every day, which is great. It's been nice to knock off a lot of the rust and some of the doubt that I've had because, quite frankly, I haven't hit a shot that counted in a long time.
“So having to post a score and hit shots on the right number, and hit shots with consequence, it's been nice.”
Woods was struggling with pain when he withdrew from the 2023 Masters
The 47-year-old said earlier this month that he was targeting “a tournament a month” next season, having played just four Major Championships and one full-field PGA Tour event since suffering serious leg and ankle injuries in a car crash in February 2021.
“For ‘24, we are pretty sound, and obviously I think we are going to make some adjustments, possible adjustments probably end of the year, however things shake out.
“But as far as the schedule for next year, we are lockstep. As far as some of the points things, we'll see how that shakes out, little things.”
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