Woods still not 'tournament-sharp' as recovery from back surgery continues

Tiger Woods says he is not yet "tournament-sharp" as the 15-time major winner continues his recovery from back surgery.

The 48-year-old underwent his sixth back operation in mid-September, after issues caused pain in his leg that became gradually worse.

Woods has played just five PGA Tour events this calendar year, missing three cuts while withdrawing from the Genesis Invitational through illness.

The former world number one provided an update on his condition at this week's Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event in the Bahamas that he hosts.

"I'm not tournament-sharp yet," Woods told reporters during a news conference. "No, I'm still not there.

"These are 20 of the best players in the world, and I'm not sharp enough to compete against them at this level. When I'm ready to compete and play at this level, then I will. The fire still burns to compete.

"As far as the recovery process of going out there and doing it again and again and again - and doing it consistently at a high level - for some reason, the body just won't recover like it used to. That's part of age and part of an athlete's journey.

"I'm just trying to rehab and still get stronger and better and feel better, and really give myself the best chance I can going into next year."

Woods also believes players receive financial rewards when appearing at the Ryder Cup, but with all money donated to charity.

"The Ryder Cup itself makes so much money, so why can't we allocate it to various charities?" he added.

"And what's wrong with each player - 12 players - getting a million dollars and the ability to divvy out to amazing charities that they're involved in that they can help out?

"It's never really been about getting paid, it's how can we allocate funds to help our sport or help things that we believe in back home. It's so hard to get onto that team; there are only 12 guys. What's wrong with being able to allocate more funds?"

I am disappointed that I will not be able to compete this year at the Hero World Challenge, but always look forward to being tournament host and spending the week with @HeroMotoCorp. Excited to welcome our exemptions @JustinThomas34, @JDayGolf and @NickDunlap62 into the field.

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 25, 2024