Tour News

Tiger Woods says he’ll never feel great again

Published

9 years ago

Feb 9, 2017

Tiger Woods gave two major interviews in Dubai — neither of which was terribly optimistic — ahead of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, which saw the 14-time major champion withdraw citing back spasms following a first-round 77. He spoke about his health, rehab, and future in the game of golf, among other things.

In what could be the least shocking statement ever made, after three back surgeries and four knee operations, Woods told former R&A chief executive Peter Dawson that he will never physically feel great again.

“I feel good, not great,” Woods said. “Granted, I don’t think I’ll ever feel great…”

Woods also put into perspective just how much pain he was dealing with during his 17-month hiatus from professional golf, saying he needed help just getting out of bed.

Woods also gave an interview to CNN’s Shane O’Donoghue, which you can watch here. For those who hold out hope for Woods adding to his 14-major total, this interview was less than uplifting. Woods said his goal is to “play away from pain,” and doesn’t care if his swing “looks awful” or it “looks like Jim Furyk.” Gone are the days of chasing perfection and talking “traj”; Woods is just chasing a pain-free golf swing.

The 41-year-old also said he questioned whether he would ever play golf again during his rehab from the third back surgery, the goal of which was to reduce nerve pain.

“Anyone who’s ever had nerve pain in their back, they certainly understand what that feels like,” Woods told O’Donoghue. “I honestly didn’t know this time last year, I didn’t know if I’d ever play golf again. Just because of the fact that it’s nerve pain.”

Woods compared his nerve pain to getting hit in the funny bone 1000 times a day; “it becomes not so funny,” Woods said. The next time we expect to see Woods tee it up is at next week’s Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

23 Comments

Mw

Feb 19, 2017 at 2:21 pm

Fish or cut bait Tiger! Either play without the constant focus on your back or whatever is ailing you that particular day, or stop playing all together. Seems like this gives you a built in excuse every time you tee it up if you don’t like how you are playing.

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Ken Mackay

Feb 10, 2017 at 3:29 pm

Tiger should have a talk with Don Trahan or as he is called the swing Surgeon. His unique swing techniques take the pain out of the conventional golf swing.

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Jack Nash

Feb 10, 2017 at 2:27 pm

Was this interview just the beginning of T Woods Course design commercial?

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Tom54

Feb 10, 2017 at 12:25 pm

It would be nice if Tiger could at least have a few years left in him to mix it up with the young bloods but he still thinks he is the Tiger of old. Time to realize Father Time got a head start on him. Enjoy competing when you can. Your place in golf history is secure.

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Rich

Feb 10, 2017 at 11:25 am

The day Elin took a 7 iron (or was it an 8) and chipped the family auto into oblivion, Tiger was absolutely, unequivocally burnt Swedish toast. The dichotomy between his fantasy life and real world existence became a chasm so wide that all of his previous orgasms could not satisfy. You can’t live in two worlds that are so far removed from one another wherein golf concentration is possible. He did it to himself. What happened to the mantra “Keep your private life private.” Tiger’s life was so out of control this became an impossibility. Too bad for us plebeians. It would have been a fabulous ride. In fact it was a great ride for 11 or 12 years. For the past 7 years we have been taken for a ride. Kiss it goodbye folks. It’s all over.

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- No Card DQ
  
  Feb 10, 2017 at 11:48 am
  
  That, along with the medic circus that materialized, called Smartphone social media journalism. There would be no escape. And he fueled it. Addicted to the humping, he was.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - No Card DQ
    
    Feb 10, 2017 at 11:49 am
    
    meant to say Media circus.
    
    Reply Report comment
Sandy

Feb 10, 2017 at 9:39 am

Maybe time for Tiger to try a more back friendly method of getting the ball to the green, Don Trahan, Todd Graves or even Doug Tewell all teach back friendly more arm powered swings that can keep all you old men playing better golf….

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- No Card DQ
  
  Feb 10, 2017 at 11:46 am
  
  It’s not the swing, Bruh. It’s in his head and his heart
  
  Reply Report comment
Mike Cleland

Feb 10, 2017 at 9:21 am

Tiger was done when he had the “car accident” &
the scandal unfolded. He was a great player, but could never deal with the “celebrity” that went with it. That’s his acheles heal. Too bad he didn’t have the personality
of Phil Mikelson or Arnold Palmer but, he doesn’t.

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- GeorgJr
  
  Feb 11, 2017 at 3:56 am
  
  Best said. This is absolutely correct. He did not get to be a Knight of golf.
  
  Reply Report comment
Switch

Feb 9, 2017 at 9:59 pm

Has he asked any of the former adult movie stars how they feel after they have smashed so many women all those years? I bet they don’t feel too good either. But I bet Eldrick can relate well. Lets not put it all on the golf

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Sergio

Feb 9, 2017 at 7:15 pm

He used to be brutally honest with himself about his game
But now it’s excuse after excuse about his bad play
The “earl gene” is here

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- Joshuaplaysgolf
  
  Feb 9, 2017 at 7:43 pm
  
  Clearly you’ve never dealt with chronic back pain. There are no pain-free days. Just some days suck less than others. He will never be the same player, those dreams died years ago…but back pain effects EVERYTHING. Your mood. How it feels to sit. To walk. To sneeze and have a disc pop on you. It most certainly effects every aspect of your golf game. My trainers will watch just a couple swings and immediately say ‘bad back day, huh?’ You simply don’t move the same…CAN’T move the same.
  
  Pain is not an excuse, and you have no clue his level of pain or pain tolerance…so let’s back off trying to say he’s making excuses here…and this is coming from the least of the Tiger fans amongst us.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jim
    
    Feb 9, 2017 at 8:50 pm
    
    Pretty much what I said below. It’s not just the pain but the inability to move or even straighten up at times – that might be the worst part. When you look in the mirror and realize that you are leaning to one side because your back won’t allow you to straighten up is when you realize it will never be the same. You learn to deal with it to some extent – when your back allows.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Bob Castelline
    
    Feb 10, 2017 at 9:17 am
    
    I get the impression that a lot of the harsh critics on here have never dealt with this kind of pain, nor are they likely older than 25. I don’t care who you are, Father Time stops for nobody. Unfortunately for Tiger, it does sometimes speed up. You can hate Tiger for his success, if you want to be so petty. But there’s absolutely no good reason to hate on a man who is suffering.
    
    Did he make mistakes? Of course. But please, stand up if you’ve never made any. Didn’t think so.
    
    I can’t say I’m so much a fan of Tiger as I am a fan of watching true greatness. Go ahead and deny the greatness of Tiger Woods in his prime. I’ll just laugh in your face and walk away.
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Bob Jones
    
    Feb 10, 2017 at 10:15 am
    
    I’ve been there. Everything joshuaplaygolf says is true. Tiger is finally realizing he is not a superman
    
    Reply Report comment
Matt K

Feb 9, 2017 at 5:10 pm

He was still invincible right up to his last major – when Dan Hicks asked “expect anything different?” No, Dan, no. Hard to believe Tiger won his last Masters in 2005, he wasn’t even 30 yet. What an odd way it all unfolded.

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Forsbrand

Feb 9, 2017 at 4:11 pm

Some guys have been close just once, others have had their chance a couple of times, opportunities missed and don’t have that elusive major! tiger has 14, an amazing achievement! He still might win another, but so what if he doesn’t, look around you Tiger there’s so much of the world for you to see and do, suck it up!!! Enjoy yourself, you have so much to be proud of.

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Mark S

Feb 9, 2017 at 1:57 pm

No matter what, I will always enjoy watching him…. and remembering.

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The dude

Feb 9, 2017 at 12:55 pm

Anyone out there still think he’ll break 18 majors?….(this …and has been Tigers communication to the world….he’s had enough……and more than that…he has given enough).

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TexasSnowman

Feb 9, 2017 at 12:26 pm

The magic is over. He just is not physically going to be able to do it any more. Tiger was the most dominant player ever when he was in his prime, but Jacks record is safe. Sometimes the body just does not cooperate.

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Jim

Feb 9, 2017 at 12:16 pm

Nerve pain in your back is pretty painful and can be incredibly painful at times. I’ve had a bad back (disks and nerves) for 30 years and at times the sciatica is unbearable, feeling like a knife stuck in your backside and radiating down your leg. Someone once told me you feel as though you want to crawl out of your own skin to get away from the pain. Your back hurts all the time, but with exercise and Aleve it’s I guess tolerable. However playing 4-5 times per week and the practice on top of it would be pretty tough to handle in my opinion, but I’m sure he has the best therapists helping him with strengthening/ stabilizing his core and treating him when flare ups happen so that he’ll be able to play. Maybe not every week, but he never did that anyway. Hopefully he’ll be able to deal with it and continue to get better going forward.

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