Former world No. 1 Tiger Woods has accepted he will “never feel great” again after suffering a number of back and knee injuries in recent years.
The 14-time major champion was forced to pull out of the Dubai Desert Classic last week after the first round, in which he shot a non-competitive 5-over 77, due to back spasms.
“I feel good, not great. I don’t think I will ever feel great because it’s three back surgeries, four knee operations,” Woods told Dubai magazine Vision, in a video published Wednesday, in general about his physical condition.
Woods is hoping to play in the US Masters in April, the first major of the year.
“I’m always going to be a little bit sore. As long as I can function, I’m fine with that,” he said.
The 41-year-old American has racked up 79 PGA Tour victories in his career, but has not won a major championship since 2008. He returned to action in December following a 15-month layoff.
“There were a lot of times I didn’t think I was going to make it back. … There have been plenty of times when I thought I would never play the game again at the elite level,” said Woods, ranked 674th in the world.
“It was tough, it was more than brutal. There were times I needed help just to get out of bed.”