A month after undergoing back surgery in January, Tiger Woods spoke to CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz during Sunday’s final round coverage of the Genesis Open to discuss his recovery timetable and address perhaps the biggest lingering question in golf: Will Woods be healthy for the 2021 Masters?
“God, I hope so,” Woods told Nantz. “I’ve got to get there first. A lot of it’s based on my surgeons, my doctors, my therapists, and making sure that I do it correctly. This is the only back I got, so I don’t have much more wiggle room left here.”
Woods said he did have a plan to return to playing golf when asked by Nantz if he’d like to play in at least one tournament before this year’s Masters, adding that he’s still waiting on test results to determine the next step in his recovery process.
Woods has now had five surgeries on his back during his career, as well as five on his left knee, causing him to miss significant time. He’s played just three times during the 2020-21 season, and has not appeared in a tournament since last year’s Masters in November.
Asked by Nantz how he was feeling since the surgery, Woods said his back feels “a little stiff,” and that he’s still performing the “mundane” drills of rehab while working in the gym. As for his golf game, there wasn’t much recent activity to report.
“I have lengthened my putter so I don’t have to bend over as far,” Woods said with a laugh. “I’ve gone to the same length as my sand wedge.”
The first round of the 2021 Masters is scheduled for April 8.
