At the Albany Golf Club's pro-am, Tiger Woods decided that playing nine holes on Wednesday morning was enough, skipping the full 18-hole round the other players faced. This shouldn't be seen as a red flag; there's no indication of a new setback in his healing process, even if Tiger's health is always a talking point. According to his manager and temporary caddie, Rob McNamara, Woods is just playing it safe to ensure he's fresh for the four days of competition ahead.
Tiger Woods decided that nine holes on Wednesday morning, rather than the 18 holes played by the rest of the field, would suffice for him at the pro-am portion at Albany Golf Club. Don’t put too much stock in it. His latest recovery isn’t hindered by another setback, though you never know with Tiger. To borrow a word from the pandemic, Woods is exercising extreme caution and “wants to save himself for the next four days,” said business manager Rob McNamara, who will serve as his caddie this week.
McNamara mentioned that the decision to play only nine holes was finalized by that morning. It's also worth noting that Woods effectively gave himself a pass to compete in this elite 20-man field, an event where he has a storied history with five titles.
There was a noticeable change in Woods' swing during the pro-am—it looked shorter, which might actually work in his favor. He generally seems fit, and his walking has progressed since his last outing at Augusta. That said, he still hasn't fully recovered his natural gait, and a limp is still evident due to the trauma to his right foot, ankle, and lower leg from his February 2021 crash in LA.
Speaking with the press, Woods mentioned that the pain in his ankle has eased up significantly following his April surgery for a right subtalar fusion. He expressed no worries about the act of walking itself, noting that the specific ankle pain caused by the surgical hardware is completely gone. However, he admitted that the physical strain has shifted, mentioning that his back and knee are now the areas where he feels the discomfort.
The real challenge this week will be seeing if he can endure the physical toll of walking 72 holes—or 81 if you count the pro-am—on a flat course. This will be a key indicator of whether he can handle the 2024 Genesis Invitational in February and the subsequent build-up to the Masters in April. Woods admitted he's still feeling a bit rusty, and a moment on the ninth hole proved it; he hit a drive into a sandy transition area and topped the subsequent shot, sending it barely 50 yards.