"Once a month seems reasonable” - Tiger Woods talks about his 2024 playing expectations after successful injury comeback
Tiger Woods made his much anticipated comeback at the 2023 Hero World Challenge after a prolonged absence. After withdrawing from the 2023 Masters to undergo surgery, he has successfully compeleted around seven months of recovery and rehabilitation to make it back to the biggest stage in golf.
Finishing at par for the Hero World Challenge, Woods ended up 18th in the field of 20 golfers. One tournament down and he is feeling confident about the upcoming 2024 season. He has gone ahead and set an ambitious plan for himself.
Speaking via SkySports, he said:
"If you ask me right now I'm a little bit sore. But once a month seems reasonable. It gives me a couple of weeks to recover, a week to tune up. Maybe I can get into a rhythm. That's what the plan was going into next year and I don't see why that would change."
With his plan to play one tournament a month, Tiger Woods could possibly be at the Genesis Open, followed by the Players Championship. After that, he will be targetting all four Majors- a plan which did not go through in 2023.
Tiger Woods gives update on injury, confirms participation in PNC Championship with Charlie Woods
In the pre-tournament interview, Tiger Woods said that his ankle surgery was a success. He said that he felt little to no pain and only a slight amount of discomfort. Much of the rustiness was a mental factor rather than a physical one, he added.
"It's about the same [recovering post-round], I just don't have the bone pain that I did. But I still have to go through the same protocols. It takes a long time. That's the unfortunate thing about aging and trying to do something that either I've worn out my body or trying to keep up with the younger people, it takes a long time pre and post," he said.
Woods will however be teeing off at the 2023 PNC Championship alongside his son Charlie Woods. It is a tradition he has maintained for several years, and he has confirmed his participation in this year's edition as well.
"It is an amazing gift to be able to share my love of golf with Charlie and we genuinely do look forward to playing in the PNC Championship all year. Competing together, against a field of so many golfing greats and their families, is so special," he added.