Sport
Tiger Woods injures his back again – withdraws from WGC Invitational
Woods was seen holding his back as he departed, being driven off the course in a golf buggy, forced to sit ramrod straight to help alleviate the pain. His playing partner, Masters champion Bubba Watson, said he didn’t actually see that shot on which Woods “tweaked” his back.
“I didn’t see it because I was watching his ball, but he said he jumped back in the bunker, fell in the bunker,” Watson said. “Then hitting it out of the rough a few times is just going to make the strain on the back even worse. “Hopefully he recovers and he gets ready for next week,” Watson said.
In talking about the pinched nerve, Woods has called it the most debilitating injury he has faced, one that kept him bed ridden for days and unable to do even the most basic of tasks. Woods spoke at Washington about how he felt he was ahead of schedule and at the very early edge for what doctors had said might be his timetable for healing, although the latest flare of back pain indicates he might have pushed himself too far too fast to return in time for the British Open and PGA.
The back pain likely dooms his slim chance at qualifying for the US Ryder Cup team on points and probably means US Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson would not risk a captain’s pick on him given the potential health risk as he assembles a squad to try and win back the trophy in September at Gleneagles in Scotland.
Copyright 2014 AFP
