Tiger Woods admits 2022 ‘tough but rewarding’

Tiger Woods has described his 2022 as “tough” but “also one of the more rewarding years I’ve had”, and says he now intends to focus on his recovery from injuries for a likely more active 2023.

Woods, the 15-time major champion, suffered significant injuries to his right leg and foot during a February 2021 car crash but returned to tee it up at this year’s Masters, PGA Championship and The Open, although only played nine competitive rounds in total all season.

His most recent rounds came in The Match, an exhibition tournament where he and Rory McIlroy lost to Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, and at the weekend when he teamed up with son Charlie, 13, in the PNC Championship.

The Woods pair finished tied eighth in Orlando, Florida, with Tiger – still struggling to walk – allowed to use a cart.

Reflecting on his year on Sunday night, he still feels like he made “a lot” of progress.

“The first year, I had back surgery and last year I played with a broken leg,” said Woods, who turns 47 later this month. “So this year, nothing was broken, but it was good that all the pieces are there again all lined up.”

Woods added: “The plantar fascitis [heel pain] is no fun, and now I get to truly recover and heal and progress forward on this because there’s so many good things that I’ve been able to do physically, be able to hit the golf ball and practice and do everything in a standstill.

“But I haven’t been able to get from point A to point B, and we’re obviously going to work on this.”

Woods hailed playing The Open at St Andrews in July, his last round before taking part in The Match in December, as his highlight from 2022.

“It was a tough year but also one of the more rewarding years I’ve had in a while,” he explained.

“I’ve had a lot of setbacks over the last few years, so to be able to have – as I was alluding to this summer – I don’t know if I ever get back to playing St Andrews in a British Open, but to be able to experience that maybe one last time at this level was very special to me.

“That was my favourite golf course in the whole world, and if that was it, that was it, to be able to possibly finish up my career there, I don’t know.

“That’s one of the reasons why I was kind of emotional because I don’t know if I’ll ever play St Andrews again. I’ll play Open Championships in the future but I don’t know if I’ll be around when it comes back there again.”

Woods has ambitions of ramping up his schedule in 2023 and plans on taking part in all four majors.

“The goal [for next year] is to play just the major championships and maybe one or two more,” Woods said last month. “That’s it.”