Woods says he intends to play a few events per year like Ben Hogan did

Tiger Woods revealed that he was close to walk out of the hospital with one leg in a first in-depth interview with Gold Digest on Tuesday since the car crash in February.

Woods, who suffered compound fractures in his right leg, said he had a 50-50 chance of losing his leg. “I wanted to test and see if I still had my hands. So even in the hospital, I would have [girlfriend] Erica throw me something,” Woods said. “After my back fusion, I had to climb Mt. Everest one more time,” said Woods. “If my leg gets OK, I can still click off a tournament here or there. But as far as climbing the mountain again and getting all the way to the top, I don’t think that’s a realistic expectation of me.”

“I have so far to go,” Woods said, adding he is “not even at the halfway point” of a full recovery and dismissing expectations of his return to golf. Woods, however, said the desire to play golf with his son Charlie throughout the rehabilitation process was a great motivation. This is why there are speculations that Woods could return to the PNC Championship, which opens on Dec. 18. The PNC Championship is a PGA Tour family event, where winners of the Players Championship team up with a member of their family and play the game together.


hun@donga.com