Speaking to reporters ahead of the Hero World Challenge this week, Woods, 48, admitted he has a “long way to go” before he’s ready to tee it up alongside the world’s best.
“I’m not tournament-sharp yet,” Woods told reporters Tuesday, per ESPN. “No, I am nonetheless not there. And these are 20 of the very best gamers on this planet, and I am not sharp sufficient to compete in opposition to them at this degree. After I’m able to compete and play at this degree, then I’ll.”
It is a a lot completely different tone than what we heard from Woods right now final yr. Forward of the 2023 Hero World Problem, Woods unveiled his plan to play as soon as a month all through the 2024 PGA Tour season. That did not precisely pan out. Woods performed in all 4 main championships — lacking the reduce in three — however his solely different PGA Tour begin got here on the Genesis Invitational in February. He withdrew in the midst of the second spherical due to sickness.
This paints a grim image of Woods’ 2025 marketing campaign as a result of the theme main as much as 2024 was optimism primarily based on how good he felt about his physique. Despite the fact that he felt nice mentally and bodily, Woods teed it up solely 5 occasions and wasn’t aggressive in any of these tournaments.
Now, two months after present process his sixth backbone surgical procedure, Woods’ mindset has flipped from optimism to pessimism.
