Tiger: 'Fire still burns to compete' but body 'won't recover like it used to'
Tiger Woods said he wants to play high-level golf again but acknowledged he's not close to doing so as he recovers from his latest procedure.
"The fire still burns to compete," Woods told reporters Tuesday at the Hero World Challenge, including Golf Today. "The difference is the recovery of the body to do it is not what it used to be. I still love doing it. I love competing. I love competing at anything, whether we're playing cards or playing golf. No matter what it is, I love competing.
"That's never going to leave, but as far as the recovery process of going out there and doing it again, again, and again, and doing it consistently at a high level, for some reason, the body just won't recover like it used to. That's part of age, part of an athlete's journey."
Woods underwent microdecompression surgery of the lumbar spine for nerve impingement in September - his sixth back procedure.
The 15-time major champion hosts the 20-player Hero World Challenge in The Bahamas annually. Woods withdrew from the competition in November. He finished 18th at the event last year, competing for the first time since the 2023 Masters.
"I'm not tournament sharp yet," Woods said. "I'm still not there. These are 20 of the best players in the world, and I'm not sharp enough to compete against them at this level. When I'm ready to compete and play at this level, then I will."
Following ankle surgery in November 2023, Woods said he wanted to play a tournament every month in 2024. However, he wouldn't commit to a schedule for his latest recovery Tuesday.
"I didn't think my back was gonna go like it did this year," Woods said. "It was quite painful throughout the end of the year, and hence, had another procedure done to it to alleviate the pain I had going down my leg. My commitments going forward, is it once a month? I could say that all over again, but I truly don't know."
Woods competed in five events on TOUR this year, notably missing the cut at the PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open. He also withdrew from the Genesis Invitational in February due to illness and finished 60th at the Masters in April.