Will Tiger Go Back To Playing Golf?

The chatter about Tiger Woods and his tender back flared up like a slipped disc over the weekend, and Woods quickly sought a cure.

Reports had begun to circulate on social media that Woods, who has had three back operations since the 2014 Masters tournament, could not sit in a chair and had to recline his car seat all the way simply to get through the day.

Woods hasn’t played competitive golf since last August, nor has he won a tournament since August of 2013. He’s also not the most forthcoming individual and had said relatively little about his condition or a possible return to the PGA Tour.

On Wednesday he posted 13 seconds of video on Twitter. He was swinging a 9-iron at a golf simulator and he described himself as ‘progressing nicely.’

So we can gather that at least he’s not bed-ridden. But what his condition truly is and when – if ever – he will play again, much less at a high level, remains a great unknown.

It’s not that golf is not the same without him after so long without the Tiger who dominated. Now it’s Jordan Spieth and Jason Day and Rory McIroy, Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler who fight for the world ranking that Woods guarded so zealously.

And yet, a healthy Tiger, once again burning bright, would only spice up a field of youngsters only beginning to venture where Woods has gone.

Woods is 40. Spieth is 21. The strain on the back that Woods has incurred is probably only a rumor to Spieth. On Wednesday, Woods tried to torque the torque. We still don’t know if he can walk the walk.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman