There has always been a magnetism to Tiger Woods, a pull to see him, to watch him, to study him.
It feels heightened this week with Woods’ return to a public life nine months after his life-threatening auto accident.
He walked without a significant limp but he admits he’s best on flat surfaces. His arms and upper body show the time he’s put into training. His presence – he sounds like a man who understands how fortunate he is to be alive and with two functioning legs – was both a relief and a reason to smile.
If the question before Woods’ first public appearance was whether he would be able to play golf again, he spun it forward to suggest he hopes to play tournament golf again.
When and how often remain open-ended questions.
The days of Woods being a full-time golfer are gone. With his 46th birthday coming Dec. 30, Woods had already reached an age where cutting back his playing schedule was a growing consideration. The accident made the decision for him.
“I won’t have the opportunity to practice given the condition of my leg … I just don’t,” Woods said.
“I’ll just have a different way of doing it and that’s OK. I’m at peace with that. I’ve made the climb enough times.
“I don’t foresee this leg ever being what it used to be, hence I’ll never have the back what it used to be. And the clock’s ticking. I’m getting older. I’m not getting any younger.
“All that combined means that a full schedule and a full practice schedule and the recovery that it would take to do that, no, I don’t have any desire to do that.”
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