Woods is enjoying golf for the primary time since his February automotive crash in Los Angeles that badly broken his proper leg.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods walked onto the tee for a routine pro-am spherical Friday and felt an sudden dose of nerves, realizing how lengthy it had been since he had an viewers on the golf course.
The small grandstand behind the tee was packed, everybody on their ft. Spectators stuffed each inch behind the ropes for 95 yards down the left aspect of the outlet. This was one other must-see second involving Woods underneath far completely different circumstances.
Ten months after Woods shattered his proper leg in a automotive crash in suburban Los Angeles, he was again to golf on the PNC Championship with 12-year-old son Charlie.
Again to being Tiger Woods? Removed from it.
Even so, the Feb. 23 photos of his crumpled SUV and seeing him Friday in golf apparel taking full swings and holing putts was no much less exceptional.
“I have never hit too many tee pictures after which … unexpectedly there’s individuals off the tee field,” Woods mentioned. “It was an superior day. It was simply superior to be again on the market enjoying and being on the market with my son. And we simply had an absolute blast.”
They’re the featured attraction on the 36-hole occasion that pairs dad and mom and youngsters, identical to final yr, with one large distinction. A yr in the past, there was monumental attraction getting a have a look at the younger son of the 15-time main champion.
Now it is all concerning the father.
Practically two dozen media, largely cameras, waited alongside the circle drive and raised their gear every time a automotive approached on the Ritz-Carlton Golf Membership Orlando. Woods fooled them once more, strolling in from the car parking zone, identical to regular.
He stopped hitting full pictures over the past six holes, and he did not have a lot energy on the tee pictures he hit. That was to be anticipated. As he mentioned two weeks in the past within the Bahamas, competing in an actual occasion on the highest stage is a great distance off.
“It is simply not as highly effective,” Woods mentioned. “I am unable to generate the pace I used to and the physique shouldn’t be what it was once. Clearly, it has been a little bit banged up this yr. And slowly however absolutely, I am going to get to the place the pace will begin coming again and I can begin hitting the pictures that I see that simply aren’t fairly coming off.”
There have been some constructive indicators. After his opening drive, he stooped over with all his weight on his broken proper leg to take away the tee. At instances he walked with a purposeful stride. And at instances, his gait was slower and extra measured.
Woods walked from the again tee to the ahead tee his son is utilizing, after which he acquired right into a cart that he can use for a 20-team occasion that features 86-year-old Gary Participant and the 11-year-old son of former British Open champion Henrik Stenson.
The Masters is 4 months away. Augusta Nationwide is the hardest stroll Woods faces in even wholesome years.
“I could not stroll this golf course even proper now, and it is flat,” Woods mentioned. “I haven’t got the endurance. My leg shouldn’t be fairly proper but, and it may take time. I am a great distance from enjoying match golf. That is hit it, hop in a cart and transfer about my enterprise.
“With the ability to play match golf and with the ability to get well, observe and practice and hit balls after a spherical and do all of the issues that I must be at a excessive stage, I am a great distance from that.”
He did go to the vary when his pro-am spherical was over, first as a spectator. Charlie dropped a bag of balls and commenced hitting wedges. Woods slowly took a seat within the grass, leaning towards the again of a cart, and raised his proper knee.
Earlier than lengthy, he slowly acquired up and hit wedges side-by-side with Charlie, after which they moved over to a bunker for some observe. It was mild and simple, which is about all Woods is ready to deal with in the intervening time.
Woods performs within the closing group on Saturday together with Justin Thomas and his father, the defending champions.
Woods and his son completed seventh final yr, after which Woods had a fifth surgical procedure on his decrease again that delayed the beginning of his season. Then, his season and almost his profession ended when his SUV that police estimated was going not less than 84 mph crashed over a median on a winding street and tumbled down a hill.
And now he is enjoying golf once more in a household occasion with main champions, driving in a cart. However it’s golf. Requested if he was amazed to be again so quickly, Woods replied, “Sure and no.”
It appeared unlikely when he was immobilized for 3 months in a makeshift hospital mattress in his home when he his major mission was to stroll on his personal.
Attending to his level wasn’t by happenstance.
“We labored day-after-day,” he mentioned. “Even days the place I did not really feel superb, we nonetheless labored on one thing. There was by no means a day without work aside from these three months in mattress.”
The place it leads stays unknown. For now, he was completely happy to be enjoying along with his son, his first look this yr on community tv with a golf membership in his fingers.
