Last August, Tiger Woods won the PGA Championship for major victory No. 13. Something interesting happened on the way to the clubhouse though, something that might explain his current stint on the DL. Here's what I wrote at the time:
"[The win] seemed a formality after a [Woods] birdie on the 8th. But Eldrick looked like he tweaked his left knee after an uncharacteristic fist pump (see the action shots here) -- he hasn't really executed a full fist pump in some time, and instead, usually goes with the half-hearted wave to the gallery as he retrieves his ball out of the cup (or an awkward high-five with caddie Stevie Williams).
In fact, after the right hook (his go-to fist pump is an uppercut), Tiger was noticeably limping as he walked toward the hole [to retrieve his ball], and the next five holes were a struggle."
And today, GolfDigest's Tim Rosaforte offers this:
When his left knee buckled at last year's PGA Championship, Tiger Woods wouldn't admit he hurt himself. ... "As far as hurting myself, no. All good," Woods said that day in Tulsa after winning his 13th major championship. ...Rosaforte adds that during Tiger's latest surgery, cartilage was removed, which is a sign that the "knee is deteriorating under the torque Woods puts on it."
Others ... knew Tiger was in pain. Instructor Hank Haney acknowledged that Woods was having a lot of trouble, but added, "He doesn't like to talk about stuff like that. He doesn't want to use excuses, you know?" Charles Howell III, who sees Woods on the range at Isleworth, also was aware Tiger had been favoring his left knee. "I knew he was playing through a bit of pain, but he's tough," said Howell. "He's not going to let it get in the way of him playing and trying to win the Masters."
So it's just as we all thought: the only thing that'll keep Tiger from breaking Jack Nicklaus' 18-major record is, well, Tiger. Or more specifically: Tiger's knee.
Somehow, I don't see Eldrick letting that happen.
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Vijay Singh, of Fiji, watches his shot on the fourth fairway during the first round of play of the Accenture Match Play Golf in Championship tournament at The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain, in Marana, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt York
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Camilo Villegas, right, of Colombia, hands K.J. Choi, left, of South Korea, his ball, on the third green during the first round of play of the Accenture Match Play Golf in Championship tournament at The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain, in Marana, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt York)
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Martin Kaymer, of Germany, follows through on his shot on the ninth fairway during the first round of play of the Accenture Match Play Golf in Championship tournament at The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain, in Marana, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Jason Babyak)
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Padraig Harrington, of Ireland, lines up his putt on the ninth green during the first round of play of the Accenture Match Play Golf in Championship tournament at The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain, in Marana, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Jason Babyak)
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Sergio Garcia, left, of Spain, walks past John Senden, right, of Australia, on the third green, following Garcia's birdie putt, during the first round of play of the Accenture Match Play Golf in Championship tournament at The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain, in Marana, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt York)
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Padraig Harrington, of Ireland, hits his tee shot on the second hole during the first round of play of the Accenture Match Play Golf in Championship tournament at The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain, in Marana, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
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Soren Hansen, of Denmark, hits out of the sand on the first hole during the first round of play of the Accenture Match Play Golf in Championship tournament at The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain, in Marana, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki
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Nick O'hern, of Australia, walks off the fourth green after missing a birdie putt during the first round of play of the Accenture Match Play Golf in Championship tournament at The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain, in Marana, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt York)
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Colin Montgomerie, of Scotland, his his tee shot on the fifth tee during the first round of play of the Accenture Match Play Golf in Championship tournament at The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain, in Marana, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt York)
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Stewart Cink, of the USA, misses a birdie putt on the third green during the first round of play of the Accenture Match Play Golf in Championship tournament at The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain, in Marana, Ariz., Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008. (AP Photo/Matt York
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Didn't Tiger's knee injury was a result of him being jumped by a fan some years ago?
Posted at 11:21PM on Apr 23rd 2008 by George B Vieto