Tiger Woods: I may never play competitive golf again

How the golf world reacted to the news about the former No. 1

Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods has won 14 majors during a glittering career 
(Image credit: Christian Petersen/AFP/Getty Images)

Former world No. 1 Tiger Woods admits his back injuries may mean he will never return to competitive golf.

Woods, who has won 14 majors during his career, spoke at a news conference for the Presidents Cup. He is acting as captain’s assistant for Team USA, who will play against an international team.

The 41-year-old said after multiple back operations even riding in a golf buggy “hurt too much”, the BBC reports. He added: “I don’t know what my future holds.”

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When asked if it was possible he would never compete again, he added: “Yeah, definitely. That’s going to take time to figure out what my capabilities are going forward - and there’s no rush.”

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Woods added: “I didn’t know if I was going to be able to be here [at the Presidents Cup], because I couldn’t ride in a cart. The bouncing hurt too much.

“That’s all gone now, which is fantastic. I’m still training, I’m getting stronger. But I certainly don’t have my golf muscles trained because obviously I’m not doing anything golf related.”

Sky Sports’s Jim White said the golfing world would be a “poorer place” without Woods.

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ESPN’s Peter Burns felt it was a “shame” that the younger golfing generation would “never quite understand” Woods’s domination and the excitement he brought to the sport.

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Secret Tour Pro called Woods “the greatest golfer ever to grace this planet”.

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However, one fan said the sport is “getting on fine without him”.

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