Tiger Woods won’t be making an early comeback after all, but he says he is still on track to take part in the US Open in two weeks time.
There was talk that Woods would return from knee surgery at this week’s Memorial but the world number one, who has been out of action since the Masters in April, said he has yet to fully recover.
He will also miss the following week’s St Jude Classic in Memphis before lining up for the US Open from June 12-15 at Torrey Pines in San Diego. He said in an AP article:
“I wasn’t ready. I started my practice basically just recently. So going to Memorial that rusty, it wouldn’t have made any sense. I wasn’t sharp enough. I didn’t hit all my shots I needed to hit yet at home and make sure everything is organised. The whole idea is to be ready for the US Open.â€
Woods was speaking at Bethesda, Maryland at the Congressional Country Club, which is hosting his own PGA Tour event, the AT&T National, in July.
The last time Woods took time off from the circuit was also before the US Open, in 2006. He was recovering from the death of his father and missed the cut at Winged Foot, the only time he has ever missed the weekend at a major tournament.
However, he also had surgery on the same knee in 2002 and on his comeback, won the Buick International. And where was that tournament played? Torrey Pines, of course.
The 13-time major winner said he knows exactly what it takes to win a tournament after a long lay-off, having done it before and it was merely a case of getting enough practice and priming himself for the season’s second major. Woods finished second at the Masters behind South African Trevor Immelman.
