Tiger Woods has long targeted the record 18 majors won by his fellow American Jack Nicklaus but that goal became more elusive on Thursday when he withdrew from the Players Championship because of injury.
It has been almost three years since Woods clinched the last of his 14 major titles and the prospect of adding any more in the near future dimmed as he dejectedly limped off after nine holes at the TPC Sawgrass. Ever since his private life unravelled in sensational fashion at the end of 2009 and he tried to repair his crumbling marriage, Woods has struggled for form on the course.
Aged only 35, Woods has already had four surgeries on his troublesome left knee and his latest injury setback comes at an inconvenient time with the second major of the year, the U.S. Open, fast approaching. Woods is a three-times winner of his national open and had initially planned to compete in last week’s Quail Hollow Championship, the Players and then the June 2-5 Memorial tournament to complete his U.S. Open build-up.
However, he was forced to pull out of Quail Hollow because of mild strains to his left knee and left Achilles’ tendon and those same injuries led to his withdrawal from the Players on Thursday. Woods is rapidly running out of time in his preparations for the June 16-19 US Open at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. “A medial collateral ligament sprain one would expect to heal typically within two to four weeks,” sports medicine surgeon Dr Robert Frederick told Reuters on Thursday.
“More significant is what is going on in his knee and with the Achilles’ tendon. Rest may heal the injuries but rest also keeps him from the course and the practice tee which allows him to prepare for such events. “The chances of him getting back within the next couple of weeks to aggressively pursue practice rounds are probably not very promising.”
