Tiger Woods, Feeling ‘Pain-Free,’ Talks About His Game and 2024 Plans

With the on-course return of Tiger Woods just days away at this weekend’s Hero World Challenge, the 15-time major met with reporters for the first time since the Masters in April.

Tiger Woods has arrived. pic.twitter.com/7Cre3sEAUL

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 28, 2023

Among the takeaways:

• Woods says his game feels rusty.
• Longtime friend Rob McNamara will caddy for him since Joe LaCava is now on Patrick Cantlay’s bag.
• He’s not dealing with any pain in the ankle that he had surgery on after the Masters.
• If all goes well, we could be seeing a lot of Woods in 2024.

Woods, 48, will be using a cart this week and in next month’s PNC Championship, where he will be teaming with son Charlie in the two-round event.

While he says he has no idea where his game is at, he said his ankle feels good. But he added that overcompensating could mean other issues crop up elsewhere.

“I don’t have any of the ankle pain that I had with the hardware that’s been placed in my foot, that’s all gone,” Woods said. “The other parts of my body, my knee hurts, my back. The forces go somewhere else. Just like when I had my back fused, the forces have to go somewhere. So, it’s up the chain. As I said, I’m just as curious as all of you with what’s going to happen. I haven’t done this in a while.”

If all goes well over the next few weeks, Woods said that he would like to play more in 2024. He’s taken part in just five tournaments since his car crash in early 2021 and has played 72 holes just twice (2022 Masters and 2023 Genesis Invitational).

🚨 Tiger Woods says he will try to play one tournament a month going forward. He made mention of playing in @thegenesisinv and @THEPLAYERS. pic.twitter.com/aGE3s3GObx

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) November 28, 2023

“I think that best scenario would be maybe a tournament a month,” Woods said. “I think that’s realistic. You would have to start with maybe at Genesis [Invitational] and something in March near THE PLAYERS. … [The PGA Tour schedule] sets itself up for that. Now, I need to get myself ready for all that. I think this week is a big step in that direction.”

Woods will be paired with friend Justin Thomas in the first round of this 20-man, no-cut event.

Cover Photo via X