20 July, 2016: Tiger Woods will not be seen in action for the rest of this season. The PGA Championship confirmed yesterday that the 14 time major winner will not be playing at Baltusrol next week. Mark Steinberg, Woods’ agent also confirmed that the American will not play competitive golf for the rest of this season.
This is the first time since his debut at Augusta in 1995 that Tiger will miss all of the major championships in a season. He is recovering from the back surgeries he underwent is the fall season last year. But progress has been tepid and Woods has not been able to play any meaningful golf so far.
It is perhaps a wise move for the golfer to allow his body to fully recover and resume only when he is fit enough to survive the demands of golf. Woods also underwent a back surgery in March 2014, but admitted to have rushed his comeback on that instance.
He had to undergo two surgeries last year, after finishing 10th at the Wyndham Championship in August last year. The time away from golf has allowed Tiger to spend time with his two children, giving him a fresh perspective on life.
While diehard fans continue to hope for his return to golf, the game is no longer dependent on the great man for its survival. We have seen some exceptional talent emerge over the past three years. The success of Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Dustin Johnson has allowed the game to flourish and move on in the absence of the iconic golfer.
The break allows Tiger to rebuild his physical strength and return to moderated expectations. That might be exactly what he needs, as he looks to underline his legacy with a final flourish. Woods is still relatively young by golfing standards and it would be naïve to write him off at this stage.
We could see him come back and make a strong impression yet again.
