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It would not surprise anyone if Tiger Woods declared his retirement after a life-threatening accident in 2021. However, the 15-time major champion still has more magic to display on the golf course. Amidst speculations that he would retire post The Open Championships this year, Woods came forth to deny all of it.
Tiger Woods made a comeback at The 2022 Masters
Post his accident, he returned to professional golf at The Masters tournament, assuring fans that he is not finished yet.
However, Tiger Woods finished 47th at the tournament and withdrew from the following PGA Championships due to discomfort in his leg. He later skipped the US Open citing trouble with his leg and also took time off to prepare for The Open Championships.
This led to questions as to how long the 46-year-old will continue to play the sport. Questions also arose as to how long his leg will support him as he continues to age.
Tiger Woods denies retirement rumors
When asked about his probable retirement plans in an interview with Sky Sports, at The Open Championships, he said:
"Who? Me, retire? No, no, no, no. I'm not retiring. Am I not playing a full schedule? Yes, as I've told you many times, that's just my reality. I don't like it, but I just have to accept it."
When asked whether he will be able to play again at St Andrews, which happens to be one of his favorite venues, he replied:
"As far as retiring, no. But this may be my last chance I'll be playing at St Andrews with a chance to compete at the highest level. If it comes around in five, six, seven or eight years' time, whatever the time frame is, who knows if I'll be playing the game of golf at this level? I appreciate every single moment, especially coming back here."
It's not clear when St Andrews will host The Open again. However, considering it hosts the event every five years, it will probably take place in 2027. This may prove to be a challenge for Tiger Woods considering his serious leg injuries.
He also acknowledged that he has taken a step back from the PGA Tour owing to his injuries. He mentioned that he is missing out on practice in such tournaments, which will help him perform better in the major tournaments.
Tiger Woods added:
“But that’s no longer my future. I’m not going to be able to do that again. So this is what my future is, a very limited schedule. I’m going to have to somehow figure out a way to practice at home efficiently and come to these events maybe just a little bit earlier and get more looks and try to get a better feel for it, and really trust what I’m doing because I hadn’t proven it to myself in any other tournaments prior to this."
Despite his reduced calendar, he still plans on playing and has no plans of retiring. His comeback from the accident in 2021 was astonishing, but there is only so far he may go. He has vividly struggled with his right leg in all of the tournaments he has played post his accident.
However, he is proud to be able to play in these tournaments after a career-threatening accident when it looked like he would never have the opportunity to play again.
