With his 40th birthday just one week away, Tiger Woods looks optimistically forward to playing golf pain-free next year, while he reflects on this year’s campaign, blighted by injuries, poor form and a plummeting world ranking.
The greatest player of his generation and arguably of all time, Woods has not won a tournament anywhere since the 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and his title drought in the major championships dates back to the 2008 US Open.
Woods, the world No. 1 for a record total of 683 weeks — who is now stunningly ranked 414th — earlier this month said that he was in the dark about the future of his playing career, asking himself: “Where is the light at the end of the tunnel?”
Photo: AP
Yet the winner of 79 career PGA Tour events has now said that he firmly believes he can still contend and emerge triumphant in the majors over the next five to 10 years, while “still playing golf at the highest level.”
In a blog posted on the PGA Tour’s Web site, Woods wrote: “The thing I’m looking forward to the most about 2016 is getting back out there again. I’ve missed it, and I would like to do it pain-free. I haven’t done that in what seems like a long time. I’ve had it in spurts the last few years and have done some pretty good things, but I’d like to have sustained health.”
Woods, who has slipped in recent years due to injuries and mastering of a new swing, thought he was back to form after tying for 10th at the Wyndham Championship in August, following a dismal season in which he missed three cuts in the majors.
However, three weeks later he had a second microdiscectomy surgery to alleviate pressure on a disc in his lower back, before needing another procedure on Oct. 28 on the same area due to discomfort.
“As far as 2015, it was a tough year physically and took a toll on my body,” said Woods, whose career tally of 14 major victories is surpassed only by Jack Nicklaus (18).
“I had to battle through a swing pattern change and get that organized, because it was awful at the beginning of the year... The frustrating part was not being able to build on it throughout the year. To finally have it switch and turn in the last event I played at the Wyndham Championship, and then lo and behold, I cannot physically do it any more ... so it has been a roller-coaster ride the entire year,” he said.
However, this week he appeared to be much more confident about his prospects.
“Where do I see myself in the next five to 10 years? I am still playing golf at the highest level and winning tournaments and major championships,” Woods said.
As for the short-term, he has set his sights on watching his beloved Stanford University football team and also the latest blockbuster to emerge from Hollywood.
“I am really looking forward to watching Stanford play Iowa in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 on TV,” Woods said. “I have followed the team every game. If I cannot watch it live, every game is DVR’d and I have seen every play.”
“I want to go see the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I was a total geek growing up and had Star Wars wallpaper in my room. My kids love it, too,” he added.
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