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What would golf be like without headliner Tiger Woods?
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| Tiger Woods decides to end the frustration by getting his ailing knee repaired. (AP) |
Woods had surgery on his ailing left knee in Utah on Tuesday to take care of an issue that's been causing him pain for several months. Some observers noted that he seemed to be walking gingerly at times during his runner-up finish at the Masters, particularly as he entered and exited sand traps, though Woods has been occasionally gimpy for so long, nothing seemed particularly unusual about it.
Woods had surgery on the same knee in 1994 and late 2002. According to his website, Woods could be on the shelf for up to six weeks, which means he will miss starts at the Wachovia Championship, Players Championship and possibly the Memorial, all events he has won in the past.
He is defending champion at the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte, a tournament he missed in 2006 when his father died. He's won the Memorial, which is exactly six weeks down the road, three times.
"I made the decision to deal with the pain and schedule the surgery for after the Masters," Woods said on his website. "The upside is that I have been through this process before and know how to handle it. I look forward to working through the rehabilitation process and getting back to action as quickly as I can."
Wachovia tournament director Kym Hougham received a phone call from Woods' agent informing him of the news. Fortunately for the Charlotte event, it's been sold out for three months and Woods' absence should have modest economic impact. How it will affect other tournaments, either financially or in perceived diminished importance, remains to be seen.
"Obviously, we're disappointed he's not coming, but Tiger will have along career and we assume he'll be back," Hougham said Tuesday night. "He's got to do what's right for his career. We're one tournament and Tiger's got hundreds more to play."
With months of massive buildup centering on his pursuit of the Grand Slam, Woods never established any momentum at the Masters and saw the bid end almost before it began.
If the timeline for his return takes six weeks and he is forced to skip the Memorial, the U.S. Open could be his first event back. It's eight weeks away, on June 12-15 at Torrey Pines Golf Course, where Woods has won five of the past six Buick Invitational titles, including the past four in succession. Woods' doctor took a look at the knee and found damage, and corrective action was determined to be the best course.
"Tiger has been experiencing pain in his knee since the middle of last year, and when he had it looked at by his doctors, arthroscopic surgery was recommended," said Mark Steinberg, Woods' agent. "Cartilage damage was found during the procedure, which Dr. Rosenberg was able to correct. Tiger has played through the pain in the past, but knew it would be better for him to have the procedure done as early as possible."
Despite whatever pain he was feeling, Woods has won seven of his last 10 official worldwide starts, including five in a row in one stretch, dating to last July. He finished fifth and second in his last two starts.
