Tiger Woods rarely provides updates on his health.
Yet, the usually tight-lipped Woods revealed to Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press that his right ankle has “zero pain.”
Woods underwent surgery on his right ankle two weeks after the 2023 Masters, the last time he played professionally. The procedure aimed to heal arthritis that developed from his near-fatal car crash in February 2021.
“My ankle is fine. Where they fused my ankle, I have absolutely zero issue whatsoever,” Woods said per the Associated Press.
“That pain is completely gone. It’s the other areas that have been compensated for.”
The 15-time major champion caddied for his son Charlie at the prestigious Notah Begay III Invitational this past weekend.
Woods walked and looped for all 72 holes, leading many to grow excited about his potential return.
But Woods still faces pain.
“All the surrounding areas is where I had all my problems, and I still do,” Woods added. “So you fix one, others have to become more hypermobile to get around it, and it can lead to some issues.”
He also revealed that he experienced some fatigue, as he had not walked a course in a while.
“I’m pretty sore after caddying for four days,” Woods said. “It was a flat course, thank God.”
Another flat course is the Albany Golf Course in the Bahamas, the site of the Hero World Challenge, which Woods hosts each December.
Only a small, select handful of the world’s top players compete in this event annually.
This year, 19 of the 20-player field has been revealed, as one spot remains open. That could be left for Woods, who is still rehabbing and practicing.
Whether Woods tees it up in the Bahamas remains to be seen, but he has a greater chance of playing with his son Charlie at the PNC Championship, which allows players to take carts.
Meanwhile, the Hero World Challenge forbids carts, only letting entrants walk.
Nevertheless, Tiger’s health will continue to be a talking point for the remainder of the 2023 calendar year. It will likely be a big topic of discussion throughout early 2024, too.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
