Tiger Woods rarely provides updates on his health.
Yet Woods, usually discreet, revealed to Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press that his right ankle has “no pain.”
Woods underwent surgery on his right ankle two weeks after the 2023 match Mastery, the last time he played professionally. The procedure was intended to cure arthritis that developed following his near-fatal car accident in February 2021.
“My ankle is fine. Where they fused my ankle, I have absolutely no problems,” Woods said according to the Associated Press.
“This pain is completely gone. These are the other areas that have been compensated.
The 15-time major champion was caddied for his son Charlie at the prestigious Notah Begay III Invitational this past weekend.
Woods walked and made a loop for all 72 holes, leading many to get excited about his potential return.
But Woods is still dealing with pain.
“All the surrounding areas are where I had all my problems, and still do,” Woods added. “So you fix one, the others have to become more hypermobile to get around it, and that can lead to some problems.”
He also revealed that he was experiencing some fatigue, having not completed a course in some time.
“I’m pretty sore after being a caddy for four days,” Woods said. “It was a flat course, thank God.”
Another flat course is the Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas, the site of World of Heroes Challengethat Woods hosts every December.
Only a small handful of players selected from the best in the world participate in this event each year.
This year, 19 of the 20 players have been revealed, as one spot remains open. That could be left to Woods, who is still rehabbing and practicing.
It remains to be seen whether Woods will compete in the Bahamas, but he is more likely to play with his son Charlie in the PNC Championship, which allows players to take carts.
Meanwhile, the Hero World Challenge bans carts, only letting participants walk.
Nonetheless, Tiger’s health will continue to be a topic of discussion for the remainder of the 2023 calendar year. It will likely be a significant topic of discussion in early 2024 as well.
Jack Milko is golf editor for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check @_PlayingThrough Also.
