Tiger Woods opens up about 'tough' recovery after car accident: 'I'm lucky to be alive'

Tiger Woods is acknowledging he still has a "long way to go" in his recovery more than nine months after he was in a serious car accident.

The legendary golfer was hospitalized in February following a single vehicle car accident in California, and he spoke with reporters Tuesday about his recovery. When asked how much more difficult it has been compared to his recoveries from previous injuries, Woods said "this one's been much more difficult," adding, "It's hard to explain how difficult it has been just to be immobile for three months and just lay there. I was just looking forward to getting outside."

Doctors previously said Woods suffered "significant orthopedic injuries to his right lower extremity," which required emergency surgery. He said Tuesday he no longer needs crutches but that recovering has been "a lot of hard work," noting he had to be in a hospital bed for three months, and he praised his doctors and nurses.

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"There were some tough times in there," Woods said. "There were some really, really tough times, and the pain got pretty great at times. But they helped me get through it. I'm on the better side of it, but I still got a long way to go."

Woods told Golf Digest in a Monday interview he expects to "never" play full time "ever again," which he described as an "unfortunate reality." But he told reporters Tuesday that "at least I'm able to do it again," even though "for a while there, it didn't look like I was going to." When asked if there's an upcoming tournament he has in mind to make a return, Woods said that "as far as playing at the tour level, I don't know when that's going to happen." But he noted, "I'm lucky to be alive," adding, "I'm very grateful that someone upstairs was taking care of me."