Woods says his recovery is going well
Tiger Woods said the stress fractures in his lower left leg are healing, two weeks after the world's No. 1 golfer had reconstructive knee surgery following his victory at the U.S. Open.
"If I hadn't played in the U.S. Open, they would be almost fully healed by now," Woods said in a newsletter to fans posted on his Web site. "So, the surgery was a blessing in disguise. By the time I come back, they should be fine."
Woods, who is on crutches, sustained the two stress fractures while rehabilitating from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April, two days after finishing second to Trevor Immelman at the Masters Tournament. That procedure was an attempt to survive the 2008 U.S. PGA Tour season.
He entered the U.S. Open with the knowledge that it would be his final event before undergoing surgery to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Woods defeated Rocco Mediate in a 19-hole playoff at Torrey Pines Golf Course near San Diego to win the championship for the third time.
"Would I do it again? Probably," Woods said of his decision to enter the event. "The day after the tournament, my knee was done. I couldn't stop limping. It's amazing what adrenaline does to a system."
The 32-year-old golfer said he's spent much of his time since the surgery watching Wimbledon tennis and the U.S. Olympic team trials. He reiterated that he doesn't know when in 2009 he'll return to competition and that he wouldn't accept a role as an assistant coach for the U.S. Ryder Cup team because he doesn't want to draw attention away from the team members.
Woods was first injured while jogging near his home in Florida after the 2007 British Open. He finished the season by winning four of his last five PGA Tour events.
--Editor: Larry Siddons, Vince Golle.
To contact the reporter on this story: Mason Levinson in New York at +1-212-617-4753 or mlevinsonbloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at +1-212-617-1262 or msillupbloomberg.net.
-0- Jul/08/2008 17:40 GMT