Tiger Woods Says His Ankle Is Pain-Free and Hints at Playing Monthly
NASSAU, Bahamas — Tiger Woods is feeling good enough so far that he’s talking about trying to play one tournament a month during the 2024 PGA Tour season.
Speaking publicly for the first time since April surgery on his right ankle, Woods said Tuesday at the Hero World Challenge that the fusion surgery to repair issues in the ankle was a success that he expects to have no problem walking 72 holes this week in the tournament run by his foundation.
"My game feels rusty, I haven't played in a while," Woods said. “I had my subtalar fused. I'm excited to compete and play and I'm just as curious as all of you are to see what happens because I haven't done it in a while.
“I can tell you this, I don't have any of the pain that I had at Augusta or pre that in my ankle. Well, other parts are taking the brunt of the load so I'm a little more sore in other areas, but the ankle's good. So that surgery was a success."
Tiger Woods is playing this week for the first time since the Masters.
Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports
Woods, who turns 48 next month, has not played since withdrawing from the Masters during the third round after making the cut at the tournament for the 23rd consecutive time. He reported Tuesday that the surgery was inevitable at some point, that it was "just bone on bone" but the ankle is no longer giving him the same trouble.
All of it was in relation to the car crash he endured in February 2021 that resulted in several injuries to his foot, ankle and lower right leg.
The recent ability to caddie for his son, Charlie, in a junior tournament was among the reasons he decided to return this week at the Hero. And he was surprisingly upbeat about 2024, suggesting that this week will go a long way toward determining the kind of schedule he’d like to play.
"I think the best scenario would be maybe a tournament a month," Woods said. “I think that's realistic whether that's—you would have to start with maybe at Genesis (the Genesis Invitational at Riviera in February) and something in March, near the Players (Championship). Again, we have set up right now the biggest events are one per month. It sets itself up for that. Now, I need to get myself ready for all that. I think this week is a big step in that direction."
Woods played at Riviera last year and finished tied for 45th before withdrawing from the Masters.
The PGA Championship in May returns to Valhalla in Louisville, Ky., where Woods won his third straight major in 2000 on his way to four in a row. Woods missed the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, but was factor there in both 1999 and 2005, when he finished second to Michael Campbell. And the British Open is at Royal Troon, where Woods missed Henrik Stenson’s 2016 victory but played in both 1997 and 2004.
Since Woods last played in April, much has changed. The PGA Tour announced a "framework agreement" with the DP World Tour and Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia in June, a moved that Woods said took him by surprise.
He has since been appointed to the PGA Tour Policy board as a player director and has been heavily involved in discussions with the hope of meeting a Dec. 31 deadline.
Woods also needs a caddie as his longtime looper Joe LaCava moved on to Patrick Cantlay while Woods was away. Woods said his friend and business associate with his company, Rob McNamara, will handle the duties this week but he’s made no decisions on a caddie for 2024.
"Honestly, I really don't know," Woods said. “I was just looking forward to this week and seeing how things turned out. I'm curious to see what 72 holes looks like on the body and my game and then try and set a schedule going forward into next year."
The Hero has become a launching spot for Woods in recent years. He used it in 2016 and 2017 as a place to see where he stood after long layoffs. Woods has not competed in the event since 2019, when he finished fourth. Last year, he planned to play until withdrawing on the Monday of tournament week due to issues with his foot that he experienced while trying to get his game ready.
“I think the timing of the event with the injuries that I've had and I think just the way the event has been with the smaller field size, the fact that it's at the end of the year which sets me up for expectations going into the following year, it's a nice landing spot," Woods said. “Also a good springboard into the following year and my foundation benefits from it. So there's so many positives that come about because of my ability to be able to play in the event. So I've found this as a nice little spot to kind if turn the page and then move on to the next chapter or into the next year."