Is long-injured Tiger finally out of the woods?

There would have been a mixed reaction to Tiger Woods’ comments in the build-up to the Farmers Insurance Open after he said he spent most of his time in the gym during the offseason. While this is a sacrifice that should be commended and praised, especially as the time he spent in the gym would have been over Christmas, it isn’t all that straightforward when it comes to Woods and the process of making his body stronger.

Did Woods overdo it in the gym during his prime?

Many would indeed argue that this led to his body breaking down and his subsequent fall from grace. Obviously there were a few other things going on in his private life that contributed towards his unprecedented fall down the rankings but in essence, his commitment to the weights was the source of his problems on the course.

Woods pushed his body to high levels of physical stress as he tried to come to terms with the death of his father, a Green Beret, and it was even suggested by ESPN at one stage that Woods wanted to become a Navy SEAL and was close to retiring from golf to see it come true. To say the 14-time major winner was obsessed would be putting it mildly.

It has been over ten years since Tiger Woods was in this frame of mind so when he mentions that he spent the last three and a half months in the gym, it doesn’t necessarily need to be met with as much scepticism as before. The question is though, has his body fully recovered since then?

His surgery seems to have worked wonders

The spinal fusion back surgery that he underwent in 2017 looks to have given him a new lease of life, if the wonders he performed on the 2018 Tour are anything to go by. Just 18 months ago, Woods couldn’t tie his shoelaces and now people are talking about him being the favourite in the Masters odds 2019 at 10/1. Needless to say, he has made a recovery no one initially thought possible.

The more cynical among us would want to see him do it again. And what a final performance that was as he won the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. But, after the Ryder Cup (the week after he won at East Lake) Woods had played in seven tournaments in nine weeks. Given how early he was in his comeback after what looked like a career-threatening injury, he was definitely deserving of a long break.

The Big Cat will start 2019 at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and will again have to prove he is fit enough to make a last assault on Jack Nicklaus’ major record tally. Is he out of the Woods in terms of injury? Saying yes would be taking a lot for granted, as any professional sportsman is a twist or turn away from ending it all. But it does seem very likely that Eldrick Woods is about to embark on one last rodeo thanks to a clean bill of health.