Tiger Woods Passes on Media Session, Says Health Is Improving
ORLANDO, Fla. – Tiger Woods walked during the pro-am of the PNC Championship on Friday but decided not to talk after it.
Woods, who is playing the event for the fourth straight year with his son, Charlie, 14, passed on a scheduled media opportunity, most likely due to the inevitable questions he’d have gotten about his role as a player director on the PGA Tour Policy Board and its dealings with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.
A Dec. 31 deadline looms to get a deal in place with the backer of the LIV Golf League, which last week signed Masters champion Jon Rahm to a lucrative guaranteed contract.
Woods did answer questions about the PNC Championship, his son and his own status that were presented via a media official on site.
Tiger is playing this week with his son, Charlie, at the PNC Championship.
IMAGO / ZUMA Wire
He is playing the 36-hole event just two weeks after competing at the Hero World Challenge, where he finished 18th in the 20-man field while playing competitively for the first time since withdrawing from the Masters.
Woods had ankle surgery following the Masters and said in the Bahamas that he was pain-free in that area and was clearly walking better than at any time since returning following a February 2021 car crash, in which he suffered significant injuries his lower right leg.
While the PNC allows use of a golf cart, Woods walked during the pro-am.
“I felt like I was physically fit to do it,’’ he said. “And also, walking is always better on my back. I just wanted to keep it loose and keep it going, and we’re just having so much fun, it doesn’t really matter. We had a good time doing it.’’
Although the event is for fun among players and their kids or parents, Woods is using it to make gains with his game as well.
“Today was definitely a bit better,’’ he said. “I felt like I was able to knock a lot of the rust off there at Hero and felt my hands felt better with control hitting shots, and especially today with the wind blowing as hard as it was, I was able to hit flighted shots nicely. Which was not quite on par ... as I wanted to be at the Hero.’’
Woods said one of the advantages to being sidelined for most of this year was the ability to spend more time on the golf course with his son.
“I have not been able to practice as much as he has been able to, but I try and go out there every time he wants to. Now I’m able to start getting out there a little bit more with him and I’m still able to chip and putt and show him different shots around the greens, but also I’ve watched him hit so many golf balls over the past year because I’ve been home. I haven’t been able to play, so I’ve been able to help him, watch him play high school golf, junior golf. So it’s been a huge positive, I think, for both of us.’’
Due to the possibility of poor weather Saturday, tee times have been moved up, with Woods and Charlie playing the scramble format along with Justin Thomas and his dad, Mike, at 8:22 a.m.