Tiger could return in late February, O’Meara says
Tiger Woods's return to competitive golf appears likely to happen early in 2009, according to Mark O'Meara, a former Masters champ and certified Friend of Tiger.
After a quiet summer spent recovering from knee surgery, Woods has made a flurry of promotional appearances and media interviews this fall. While he hesitated to give a return date, Woods has maintained his goal is to return for the Masters in April. In his public appearances, Woods appeared to be his usual athletic self and said he doesn't have any pain in his knee. He is able to chip and putt, but his knee cannot handle the rotation and force of full swings until January, Woods said.
O'Meara, who is one of Woods's closest friends on Tour, had lunch with Tiger recently and told reporters in Dubai that Woods would be unable to return to defend his Dubai Desert Classic title in late January, according to Australia's The National newspaper. However, O'Meara said Woods is likely to return in late February or early March during the PGA Tour's Florida swing.
"Tiger is doing really well and he is pleased with the way the operation went," said O'Meara, who was visiting the UAE in his role as an ambassador for Golf in Dubai for yesterday's official launch of next month's Ladies Masters.
"I'm afraid the Classic [on Jan 29] is coming round a little early for him to be able to defend his title. That's a real pity. He is going to aim for a return in late February or early March.
"He is not going to start hitting balls until the end of December so it would be pushing it for him to come here in January. I imagine he will make his comeback in one of the Florida tournaments. His plan is to play a couple of events before the US Masters [in April].
O'Meara added that he'd known for some time that Woods's knee injury was serious, but he didn't tell anyone out of loyalty to his friend.
"I've known for more than two years how serious his knee injury was," said O'Meara, 51. "It was really bad but it was not for me to tell anybody. I had to keep it hush, hush."
More on Woods: Tiger Tracker | Enemies and rivals | Life in pictures | 2008 season
Posted by: Frank Foo | Nov 18, 2008 12:45:46 PM
I am an ordinary golf's addict who got interested in golf because of Tiger. Since he disappeared from the tour, so am I and many millions of ordinary fans who sit and watch golf on TV. The PGA and The Golf World needs him back! The tour is not the same without him.
A ordinary fan
Posted by: Zekethewonderdog | Nov 17, 2008 7:36:33 PM
Who cares. T may be the greatest golfer who ever lived, but I am sick of hearing about him. (He probably is too!) I am surprised we don't know his daily selection of underwear color.
Posted by: Drew | Nov 17, 2008 3:36:12 PM
Yes, steroids are a viable treatment for post-op orthopedic therapy. Secondly, the steroids being tested for, ie illegal, performance altering, are of a different nature. Do some research before posting and sounding dumb.
Posted by: Larry | Nov 17, 2008 2:58:25 PM
Uh, who's Robert and why do people hate him. I'm pretty sure steroids would be part of standard orthopedic post-op regimen. It's a broad family of highly useful drugs (and an easy call for haters).
Posted by: Charles | Nov 17, 2008 8:33:25 AM
Robert, you sound like an idiot and you are dead wrong.
Posted by: Carlos | Nov 14, 2008 6:43:14 PM
C'mon yall it's Tiger Tiger Woods!! Hope to see him back as soon as possible!!
Posted by: M. Taylor | Nov 14, 2008 4:29:08 PM
Robert - it would be more than likely the other guys trying to catch Tiger who would be taking steroids (which I am sure they did not). Would make more sense to me. Besides, the article is not about steroids, so let us stick to the topic.
Posted by: EM | Nov 14, 2008 2:38:47 PM
umm Robert, hate to break it to you but Tiger was still a canidate for steroid testing....you can be tested even if you aren't playing or are out with injury
Posted by: Brian Neville | Nov 14, 2008 2:10:54 PM
I had my knee scoped in March for a torn menicus. In one of my post recovery visits to my surgeon, we got talking about Tiger's knee surgery and I mentioned that he could not walk on it after surgery for weeks. My doctor said he gets his ACL patients walking immediately. This made me think that his knee injury was far worse than what was being reported in newspapers and other sports media.
Posted by: Rick | Nov 14, 2008 2:03:32 PM
Tiger won without steriods and Obama won be a landslide also sans steriods... HHHMMMM
Posted by: Marcia | Nov 14, 2008 1:57:02 PM
Robert, sorry to say but I think you are an idiot.
Posted by: Robert | Nov 14, 2008 1:17:16 PM
Can anyone say steroids....funny how Tiger had a knee surgery right at the time when the PGA began steroid testing.......HHHMMMM !!!