Tiger Woods to focus on golf's major championships as 'I don’t have much left in this leg'

ByAlex Livie

Published 01/12/2022 at 15:46 GMT

A serious leg injury in a car crash in 2021 limited Woods' appearances on the golf course in 2022, with the 15-time major champion making only three professional appearances. His results got progressively worse, culminating in a missed cut in the Open Championship at St Andrews. His aim remains to continue playing, albeit with a limited schedule for 2023 and beyond.

Tiger Woods has insisted his golfing future will revolve around being competitive in the major championships.

The 15-time major winner made only three competitive appearances in 2022, as he continued to struggle with the leg injury he suffered in a car crash in 2021.

After missing the cut at the Open Championship at St Andrews in July, Woods said he had no intention of retiring but would have a scaled-back schedule.

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That is still the plan, with Woods saying his damaged leg does not “have much left”.

“The goal is to play the major championships and maybe one or two more, that’s it,” Woods said as he prepared to host the Hero World Challenge at Albany in the Bahamas. “Physically that is all I can do. I told you that at the beginning of this year.

“I don’t have much left in this leg.”

Woods’ latest triumph in the majors came at the Masters in 2019, and Augusta is realistically his best chance of being competitive at the elite level of the sport.

The 46-year-old is hopeful that if the stars align, he will have the tools to get over the winning line once again.

“I will gear up for the biggest ones and hopefully lightning catches in a bottle and I am up there with a chance to win and hopefully I remember how to do that,” Woods said.

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With Woods withdrawing from the Hero World Challenge after being stuck down by plantar fasciitis, his competitive season is over.

He finished 47th in the Masters in April, before withdrawing from the US PGA Championship after three rounds. Woods travelled to Scotland for the 150th Open, but did not make the weekend after rounds of 78 and 75. Rory McIlroy revealed Woods contracted Covid the week before the Open.

Injury permitting, Woods is scheduled to appear in the seventh edition of The Match alongside Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth at Pelican Golf Club on December 10.

His year will come to a close with an appearance in the PNC Championship, an event that sees professionals play alongside a family member.

Woods and his son Charlie will be in action at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando from December 15 to 18.

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