Tiger Says “Long Way Away” from Return to PGA Tour
Following his PNC Championship Pro-Am round on Friday afternoon, Tiger Woods met with the media for a little more than ten minutes.
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This was his first competitive round since a near fatal car crash in February.
“I didn’t have the endurance that I would have like to have, but just to be out there hitting some shots, I still got the hands, I still got the feel. Unfortunately, sometimes the feel doesn’t match up with the speed I’m seeing and that’s one of the things Joey (Lacava) and I were talking about out there,” said Woods in an opening statement.
Woods looked good for most of the round, hitting drivers over 300 yards and making putts from all over.
That inevitably led to questions about when he is returning to the PGA Tour.
“It’s going to be awhile. I couldn’t walk this golf course today and it’s flat. I don’t have the endurance, my leg is not quite right yet and it is going to take time. I’m a long way away from playing tournament golf,” he said.
Woods added later on, “I still have a long way to go in this rehab process. I don’t have the endurance to be out here and play at the Tour level.”
Woods is using a cart this week, mostly to get from the tee to the fairway.
He was even asked if he would petition the PGA Tour to let him use a cart for regular events, as other players have over the years.
Woods shot that down immediately.
“No, no no, absolutely not. For a PGA Tour event? No. That’s not who I am, that’s not who I have always been. If I can’t play at that level then I can’t play”
Woods and his son Charlie tee off with Justin and Mike Thomas at 12:18 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
“It’s just being able to have the bonding and experience of being out there with Charlie. Unfortunately, this year has been very hard and I haven’t been able to play at all, this might be my second or third round, so it has been a long year. But just to have the experience of playing with him, being able to watch him hit shots, encourage him,” said Woods about playing with his son.
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