By Dan Rapaport
NEW PROVIDENCE, Bahamas — Tiger Woods provided a specific update on the state of his game in his first news conference since his February car accident.

Speaking ahead of the Hero World Challenge, a 20-man exhibition that benefits his TGR Foundation, Woods said that he has indeed played full golf holes, but not from the back tees as he’s accustomed to. He also suggested he sought his family’s approval to even begin considering a comeback to competitive golf and remains a long way away from competing against the best players in the world.

“We had a talk within the family, all of us sat down and said, ‘If this leg cooperates and I get to a point where I can play the tour, is it OK with you guys if I try and do it?’ ” said Woods, who looked fit but acknowledged he felt pain in both his back and his leg while sitting.

“The consensus was yes. Now, internally, I haven’t reached that point. I haven’t proven it to myself that I can do it. I can show up here and I can host an event, I can play a par-3 course, I can hit a few shots, I can chip and putt, but we’re talking about going out there and playing against the world’s best on the most difficult golf courses under the most difficult conditions. I’m so far from that. I have a long way to go to get to that point. Now, I haven’t decided whether or not I want to get to that point. I’ve got to get my leg to a point where that decision can be made.”

Meeting the press a day after talking to Golf Digest about his recovery and his future in golf, here are the other highlights from Woods’ 40-minute question-and-answer session.

On how this recovery process compares to those from injuries past:

This one’s been much more difficult. Either … the knee stuff that I had on my left knee, those operations were one thing, that’s one level. Then you add the back, that’s another level. And then with this right leg, that was … it’s hard to explain how difficult it has been just to be immobile for the three months, just lay there and I was just looking forward to getting outside. That was a goal of mine. Especially for a person who has lived his entire life outside, that was the goal. Finally got to that point when transitioned from wheelchair to crutches to now nothing. It’s been a lot of hard work.

Woods told Golf Digest in May that the traumatic injuries to his right leg—comminuted open fractures in both his tibia and fibula bone, as well as significant nerve damage—were the most painful thing he’s ever experienced. He expressed a similar sentiment on Tuesday and has clearly worked remarkably hard to be walking upright, without assistance, just over nine months after the accident.

• • •

On when he might be able to return to competitive golf, in one form or another:

I’ll put it to you this way: As far as playing at the tour level, I don’t know when that’s going to happen. Now, I’ll play a round here or there, a little hit and giggle, I can do something like that. I certainly like … you know, the USGA suggested Play It Forward. I really like that idea now. I don’t like the tees on the back. I like Play It Forward. Come on, let’s move it up, let’s move it up. To see some of my shots fall out of the sky a lot shorter than they used to is a little eye-opening, but at least I’m able to do it again. That’s something that for a while there it didn’t look like I was going to [be able to do]. Now I’m able to participate in the sport of golf, [but] to what level, I do not know that. I’ll keep you abreast, all of you abreast as progress continues to go on, whether I’ll be out here and at what level and when.

The USGA line drew a laugh from the 50 or so assembled writers, photographers, tournament organizers and tournament staff. The hit-and-giggle seems to be a reference to the PNC Championship, which he played in alongside his son Charlie last year to much fanfare. After Woods posted a video of him flushing an iron shot last week, a Golfweek report suggested Woods still hadn’t ruled out a return to the event, which takes place in two week in Orlando. Woods didn’t distinctly shut down the possibility of playing this year but drew a firm line between that sort of exhibition and the grind of playing on the PGA Tour. One might happen soon. The other, not so much.

Stan Badz
Tiger’s reaction after his victory at the 2018 Tour Championship.

• • •

On what he remembers about the accident:

Yeah, all those answers have been answered in the investigation, so you can read about all that there in the police report.

No surprise here—Woods was clearly expecting this question and had his answer ready to go. This sounded rather similar to his responses in 2009 when he was asked specifics of his Thanksgiving-day accident that started his infidelity scandal. The Los Angeles Sherriff’s Department did not press charges against Woods in connection with the February accident, which they said was the result of speeding.

• • •

On the difference between his mindset for this comeback, and the one from his spinal fusion surgery in 2017:

Once I started building, I realized after Tampa [2018 Valspar Championship] that I could win. OK. Then I proved to myself that I could take the lead in the British Open [at Carnoustie in 2018]. OK. Well, I could close. Even though I did not win, I closed pretty good at the PGA at Bellerive, and then ’19, I won the Masters. Well, I don’t see that type of trend going forward for me. I won’t have the opportunity to practice given the condition of my leg and build up. I just don’t … I’ll just have a different way of doing it. And that’s OK and I’m at peace with that, I’ve made the climb enough times.

This echoes what Woods told Golf Digest in a 30-minute video interview on Monday: That he’ll never play the tour full-time again, and that he’ll have to pick and choose what events he plays. One has to think Augusta National would be first on that list, with the other majors coming next, but only time will tell.

• • •

On the prospect of having his leg amputated:

Yeah, it was on the table.

An illustration of just how serious and traumatic his leg injuries were. “Comminuted” means in multiple pieces, and “open” means bone had broken the skin. A comminuted open fracture is not a pretty picture. His leg was essentially crushed by the vehicle, and there were multiple surgeries that happened in different waves to save the leg and allow Woods to walk, let alone swing a golf club again.

Mike Ehrmann
Tiger said he isn’t sure his game will ever be back to “playing at the tour level.”

• • •

On how he consciously avoided the public discourse surrounding the accident:

Well, I kind of feel that way with most of my life. Doesn’t really work out that way. I understand that it’s … I had friends that insulated me from a lot of the things that were said outside. I didn’t have my phone, I didn’t have access … well, I did have access to a TV and I was just watching sports. But I refused to turn on the local channels and news and stuff like that, I didn’t want to go down that road. I wasn’t mentally ready for that road yet. A lot of things in my body hurt at that time and whether I was on medication or not, it still hurt. And just trying to imagine me coming off of that stuff, how much it was going to hurt, I didn’t want to have my mind go there yet, it wasn’t ready. Yeah, people are going to poke and prod and want to know more about my business, I understand that. Just as long as they don’t go into … they can poke and prod at me all they want, just stay away from my family.

A fascinating insight into what life is like inside the fishbowl. Woods essentially said that he understands all the public interest in his life and the speculation regarding the crash, but that getting caught up in the public discourse would not benefit him in any way. So he stayed away from it, opting to let his most trusted confidants filter any necessary information his way.

• • •

On the constant rumour mill regarding rival golf tours—specifically, Greg Norman’s LIV Golf Investments and the Premier Golf League:

I’ve decided for myself that I’m supporting the PGA Tour, that’s where my legacy is. I’ve been fortunate enough to have won 82 events on this tour and 15 major championships and been a part of the World Golf Championships, the start of them and the end of them. So I have an allegiance to the PGA Tour. And I understand that some of the comparisons are very similar to when Arnold and Jack broke off from the PGA of America to start the tour. I don’t see it that way. … I think the tour is in great hands, they’re doing fantastic and prize money’s going up. It’s just not guaranteed money like most sports are. It’s just like tennis, you have to go out there and earn it.

This was Woods’ first time commenting on what’s become a hot-button issue during his absence. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the man who played an instrumental role in building the PGA Tour into what it is today—and a man tied for the most victories in the tour’s history—threw his full support behind Ponte Vedra. This will make Jay Monahan smile, and Greg Norman and Andy Gardiner won’t love hearing it. A fierce competitor to his core, Woods clearly prefers the play-for-pay model rather than the pay-for-play that has been proposed by both LIV and the PGL.

• • •

On why fans shouldn’t give up complete hope of seeing Woods hoist a trophy once more:

Ben Jared
Tiger Woods gives thumbs up to fans after winning the 2019 Zozo Championship, his record-tying 82nd win on the PGA Tour.

I don’t foresee this leg ever being what it used to be, hence I’ll never have the back what it used to be, and clock’s ticking. I’m getting older, I’m not getting any younger. All that combined means that a full schedule and a full practice schedule and the recovery that it would take to do that, no, I don’t have any desire to do that. But to ramp up for a few events a year, as I alluded to yesterday, as Mr. Hogan did, he did a pretty good job of it. And there’s no reason that I can’t do that and feel ready. I may not be tournament sharp in the sense I haven’t played tournaments, but I think if you practice correctly and you do it correctly, that I’ve come off surgeries before, I’ve come off long layoffs and I’ve won or come close to winning before. So I know the recipe for it, I’ve just got to get to a point where I feel comfortable enough where I can do that again.

Count the man out at your own discretion.

The post How far along is Tiger Woods’ golf game, actually, and eight other insights from his first post-accident press conference appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Liberty National Golf Club boasts spectacular views of the New York City skyline, which, of course, was permanently altered by 9/11. It was in the aftermath of the tragic events in 2001 that Woods had the idea to make a major alteration to his foundation. Specifically, Woods had time to think while driving home alone from St. Louis to Orlando after that week’s WGC-American Express Championship was cancelled.

“[I realized] if I was here at the time, what would happen to the foundation? Well, it would be gone,” Woods said of his then golf-based charity, which was started in 1996. “There was really nothing sustaining it except for me to doing golf clinics.”

According to TGR Foundation, it’s a choice that has now positively affected more than 1 million underrepresented students through educational resources that include STEM curricula, college-access programs and teacher development. But Woods is in the process of expanding globally—and events like the NEXUS Cup will help.

“What’s really unique about it is that it’s an amateur event, but the experience people have, it makes you feel like pros,” TGR Foundation CEO Rick Singer said of the new competition that took place Tuesday and Wednesday. “You’re seeing what it’s like to be a PGA Tour pro.”

That included a scripted wardrobe for both days with each team being assigned different colours and custom staff bags embroidered with individual and team names for each player.

There were actual PGA Tour pros on various holes as well. Major champions Henrik Stenson, Gary Woodland and Keegan Bradley were all available to hit shots for teams that wanted a bit of help. Here’s Woodland hitting one with his U.S. Open trophy looking on:

Although, choosing Bradley from 190 yards directly into the wind wasn’t a gimme when the regular tee was about 80 yards closer.

Stenson also offered people Swedish Fish (seriously) and took participants through a complimentary fitting of his line of sunglasses:

Golfers also could get a massage on the range:

Now that’s living.

Not surprisingly, there was plenty to drink and eat on the golf course, highlighted by Fuku chicken creations:

There also was plenty to drink at eat off the course with nightly dinners at the posh NEXUS Club in downtown Manhattan.

It was at Tuesday night’s dinner where an auction raised an additional $365,000 to be split between TGR Foundation and the One Bahamas Fund, created by Tiger and fellow NEXUS partner Justin Timberlake following Hurricane Dorian. That night also featured Jimmy Fallon conducting a Q&A with Tiger.

What a fun night with @jimmyfallon at the #NEXUSCup. Thanks for bringing an unplugged version of The Tonight Show to our guests in support of @TGRFound. pic.twitter.com/GoYnjQ5vW4

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) September 25, 2019

Sixteen teams of four golfers competed in the luxury two-day event, put on in partnership with NEXUS, with the funds going directly to TGR Foundation.

“Tiger has the stature and ability to change the lens on how to do fundraising and what to do with the outcome and the impacts,” NEXUS senior managing director Douglas E. McMahon said. “It’s not just about kids wanting to be athletes. It’s whatever their giftedness is. And these are kids that need a boost. We feel very honoured to do things together.”

“Everyone wants to meet Tiger,” said Damien Mitchelmore, vice president of NEXUS’ Albany property in the Bahamas, where Woods has a residence. “He’s a living legend.”

But while Woods was fairly accessible for the two days—he took a $100 off one unlucky (lucky?) team with a side bet on a par 3—three teams, in particular, got to know the 15-time major champ better. The winning team had dinner with Woods at the NEXUS Club on Wednesday. And the two teams that split the tab on the auction’s big prize, a private breakfast (“Tiger really eats steak and eggs!”) and putting lesson with Woods and Woodland. And before you ask, yes, that’s Lawrence Taylor in the pictures below:

Starting day 2 with a strategy session and putting lesson with two major champions. A special morning for a few #NEXUSCup teams pic.twitter.com/aASRw5wWJp

— TGR Live (@TGRLiveEvents) September 25, 2019

“Tiger’s foundation does great work and we’ve been involved in the Hero World Challenge, which was a great experience,” Brian Shatz, captain of Team Magnolia, said. “But I don’t think anyone expected the access and having the ability to spend the time with Tiger at this event. It’s something we’ll never forget.”

Taylor was one of two New York Giants legends competing in the tournament. The other being Michael Strahan, who also filmed a “Good Morning America” segment with Woods that will air on Friday morning on ABC:

Then was stunned when Tiger beat him in a putting contest by draining his first attempt at a curling 20-footer:

“I’ve still got it!” yelled an exuberant Tiger. And for those curious, Woods looked spry following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last month. The reigning Masters champ didn’t hit any full shots but said he was cleared by his doctors to resume playing golf as of last week. Tiger remains on track to return to competition at another inaugural event, GOLFTV’s “The Challenge: Japan Skins,” on Oct. 21 before playing in the PGA Tour’s Zozo Championship later that week. Woods has an exclusive content partnership with GOLFTV, which along with Golf Digest, is part of Discovery.

Back to those who were playing, the event featured a fun, but unusual format. Five squads, most of which boasted fantastic team names, made it through the team match-play portion and into the championship shootout. From there, it was alternate shot starting from the middle of the fairway on Liberty National’s scenic 18th hole while a couple of big names watched—and sometimes, heckled.

“We wanted to differentiate and give it a different twist than what our guests typically see,” TGR Live’s VP, Championships Mike Antolini said. “What can we do that really keeps the competition up? And we figured team match play was the answer. Everyone has a chance waking up on Day 2. And having Tiger and Gary looking over their shoulders in the championship shootout adds to the pressure. So it’s a pretty cool finish.”

Speaking of the finish, that turned out to be quite a story as well. On a week of NYC gridlock—avoided, by the way, with a ferry to the course—due to the United Nations General Assembly, a pair of players from South Africa (Kamalan Munsamy, Kinesh Pather) and another pair from Miami (Jason Rosenfeld, Antonio Arbulu) meeting for the first time came together for an emotional victory as part of Craig’s Team, named after a friend who sadly passed away at 48 from stomach cancer earlier this year.

“We played in his honour and his memory,” Rosenfeld said. “And it’s a really, really wonderful feeling to be able to know he’s looking down on us.”

Thank you to all our guests, donors, supporting Tour players, to Liberty National, to NEXUS, and my @TGRLiveEvents team for making the inaugural #NEXUSCup such a success. All to raise money for @TGRFound supporting students and giving them access to higher education. pic.twitter.com/0xJY9jGPwA

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) September 25, 2019

This new bunch of best friends will be back—and so will the NEXUS Cup.

“It’s great to be here. He’s done so much for all of us so it’s nice to give something back for him,” Bradley said. “This is a great thing Tiger has done and I know it will just continue to get bigger and better.”

The post The inaugural NEXUS Cup hosted by Tiger Woods was a big hit—and it’s not hard to see why appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christoper Powers
Ever wanted to caddy for Tiger Woods? Turns out all you needed was $50,000.

That’s what one bidder donated over the weekend at the 20th Annual Tiger Jam in Las Vegas during a live auction for Woods’ TGR Foundation. The donation will earn the currently anonymous person a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to carry Tiger’s bag during the Wednesday Pro-Am at the 2018 Hero World Challenge.

“Joe, take the day off.” @TGRFound supporter to caddie for Woods Wednesday at #HeroWorldChallenge for $50,000 donation in the #TigerJam live auction. – TGRhttps://t.co/EjoJ2bpRh4 pic.twitter.com/yu2MY2dUGV

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) May 21, 2018

Among the other auction items included an Acura MDX SH and rounds at Bluejack National or Diamante Cabo San Lucas, two of Woods’ recently-opened courses. While those would be pretty cool experiences, neither will be as unforgettable as a four-hour stroll in the Bahamas with one of the greatest golfers of all time.

Related: Tiger Woods challenges long drive champ to long drive contest, promptly smokes one and reacts accordingly

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