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Tiger Will Miss Rest of Season With Injury

Posted: 2008-06-18 14:08:49

Filed Under: Golf, Sports

SAN DIEGO (June 18) - Tiger Woods is done for the year, but not without one last major that he said might have been his best ever.

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson putt on the third hole over looking the Pacific Ocean during the first round of the US Open championship at Torrey Pines Golf Course on Thursday, June 12, 2008 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Tiger Woods (L) and Rocco Mediate fill out their scorecards after the 18th hole during the playoff round of the U.S. Open golf championship at Torrey Pines in San Diego June 16, 2008. REUTERS/Rick Wilking (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Tiger Woods' wife Elin Nordegren watches play during the playoff round at the 108th U.S. Open golf championship at Torrey Pines in San Diego June 16, 2008. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Tiger Woods hits from the 14th tee during the playoff round at the 108th U.S. Open golf championship at Torrey Pines in San Diego June 16, 2008. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Tiger Woods looks over his shot to the 12th hole during the playoff round at the 108th U.S. Open golf championship at Torrey Pines in San Diego June 16, 2008. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Tiger Woods tips his cap after parring the 10th hole during the playoff round at the 108th U.S. Open golf championship at Torrey Pines in San Diego June 16, 2008. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Tiger Woods' wife Elin Nordegren watches play during the playoff round at the 108th U.S. Open golf championship at Torrey Pines in San Diego June 16, 2008. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith (UNITED STATES)

Reuters

Tiger Woods holds his daughter, Sam Alexis, after winning the US Open championship in a sudden death hole against Rocco Mediate following an 18-hole playoff round at Torrey Pines Golf Course on Monday, June 16, 2008 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Tiger Woods holds his daughter, Sam Alexis, as his wife brushes aside her hair after Woods' win the US Open championship in a sudden death hole against Rocco Mediate following an 18-hole playoff round at Torrey Pines Golf Course on Monday, June 16, 2008 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Rocco Mediate takes a drop on the seventh and sudden death hole following an 18-hole playoff round for the US Open championship at Torrey Pines Golf Course on Monday, June 16, 2008 in San Diego. Tiger Woods won the US Open championship over Mediate. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Woods explained why Wednesday when he revealed he will have season-ending surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left knee that he injured 10 months ago.

He also suffered a double stress fracture of his left tibia two weeks before the U.S. Open, ignoring doctors' advice to take six weeks off to let it heal. And he still won the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, going 91 holes over five days on a knee that was getting worse.

"Now, it is clear that the right thing to do is to listen to my doctors, follow through with this surgery and focus my attention on rehabilitating my knee," Woods said on his Web site.

He had arthroscopic surgery April 15 to clean out cartilage in his left knee, bypassing ACL surgery with hopes it could get him through the 2008 season. But the stress fracture and a ligament that could no longer sustain a powerful swing made it impossible to keep going.

Woods did not say when he would have surgery. His swing coach, Hank Haney, said the recovery is typically six to eight months.

"He's been playing way less than 100 percent for a long, long, time," Haney said. "It has limited him a lot in practice. He's going to come back better than he's ever been."

Woods was last seen in public late Monday afternoon walking with a pronounced limp across Torrey Pines toward the parking lot, the U.S. Open trophy in his arms.

Upcoming surgery makes his 14th major title even more staggering - despite the stress fractures, he managed to win a U.S. Open that required five days of flinching, grimacing and a long list of spectacular shots that have defined his career.

Did You See That?

In this photo provided by the USGA, a black bear runs across the 13th fairway during the second round of the 2008 U.S. Senior Open Championship at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. on Friday, August 1, 2008. (John Mummert, USGA/AP)

John Mummert, USGA/AP

Australia's Sophie Edington balances a water bottle on her forehead during a training session in the Olympic Aquatic Center at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Tuesday, August 4, 2008. (David J. Phillip,AP)

David J. Phillip, AP

Flames rise around Chrissy Wallace's car after a crash in turn one the ARCA RE/MAX Series Pennsylvania 200 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Saturday, Aug. 2, 2008. After the fire burned out, Wallace restarted her car and drove to the garage. (Russ Hamilton, AP)

Russ Hamilton, AP

Mike Mason competes in the Moto X Freestyle Final during X Games 14 on August 2, 2008 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. (Jonathan Moore, Getty Images)

Jonathan Moore, Getty Images

Houston Astros' Hunter Pence (9) and Mark Loretta, center, score to tie up the game as New York Mets catcher Ramon Castro (11) loses the ball in the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Aug. 2, 2008, in Houston. The Astros went on to win 5-4 in 10 innings. (Pat Sullivan, AP)

Pat Sullivan, AP

Ideye Brown (R) of FC Neuchatel Xamax fights for the ball with FC Aarau's Frederic Page (C) and goalkeeper Ivan Benito during their Super League soccer match in Neuchatel August 2, 2008. (Stefan Wermuth, Reuters)

Stefan Wermuth, Reuters

A diver practices at the National Aquatics Center ahead of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 3, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Jamie Squire, Getty Images)

Jamie Squire, Getty Images

Carl Edwards, driver of the #99 Office Depot Ford, celebrates with a back flip after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at the Pocono Raceway on August 3, 2008 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)

Jim McIsaac, Getty Images

U.S. Olympic basketball team center Dwight Howard makes a slam dunk during a match against Lithuania in Macau, Friday, Aug. 1, 2008. (Kin Cheung, AP)

Kin Cheung, AP

Green Bay Packers safety Atari Bigby rides a small borrowed bicycle a block from Lambeau Field to Clark Hinkle Field for training camp in Green Bay, Wisconsin August 1, 2008. (Allen Fredrickson, Reuters)

Allen Fredrickson, Reuters

"Although I will miss the rest of the 2008 season, I'm thrilled with the fact that last week was such a special tournament," Woods said.

He won despite doctors telling him to rest.

Haney was with him in Florida when doctors told Woods the preferred treatment for the stress fractures was three weeks on crutches and three weeks of inactivity.

"Tiger looked at the doctor and said, 'I'm playing in the U.S. Open, and I'm going to win.' And then he started putting on his shoes," Haney said. "He looked at me and said, 'Come on, Hank. We'll just putt today."'

Woods' ledger for 2008 is a career for some players.

He played only seven times worldwide and won five times, including a major that allowed him to join Jack Nicklaus as the only players to capture the career Grand Slam three times over.

But he will miss a major for the first time in his career - the British Open next month at Royal Birkdale and the PGA Championship in August at Oakland Hills, where Woods is the two-time defending champion.

"Tiger is an enormous attraction, there's no denying that," Royal & Ancient chief executive Peter Dawson said. "But the Open Championship has had many exciting finishes which Tiger has not been part of, and I'm sure there will be more. It's very sad. We're very sorry that he's succumbed to the injury and he won't be competing in the Open.

"We hope he has the speediest recovery."

Woods also will miss the Ryder Cup in September, meaning the ninth player on the U.S. standings will qualify for the team.

The majors won't miss Woods nearly as much as the PGA Tour, especially with its second year of the FedEx Cup that Woods won in a landslide a year ago.

"Tiger is our tour," Kenny Perry said from the Travelers Championship. "When you lose your star player, it definitely hurts."

The PGA Tour said in a statement that its concern - as it would be for any player - is for Woods' health and well being, both on and off the golf course.

"We wish him the best toward a speedy recovery," the statement said.

It will be the third surgery in five years on his left knee, although Woods said doctors have assured him the outlook is positive. When asked Monday if he further damaged his knee by playing in the U.S. Open, Woods said, "Maybe."

Doctors have told him, however, that the stress fractures will heal with time.

Woods is ultra private with his health and personal life, never more so than at the U.S. Open. He never mentioned the torn ACL or the stress fracture, and wouldn't say how he was treating it, only that it was more sore as the week went on.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was when the injury first happened.

Woods said he tore the ACL while jogging at home after the British Open last July. He chose not to have surgery and went on a run that included seven consecutive victories, including the Dubai Desert Classic in Europe and his Target World Challenge, an unofficial event.

He did not play overseas late last year for the first time since 2003, hopeful that rest could allow him to play more this year. But the pain intensified through the Masters, where he finished second, and Woods said the cartilage damage developed from the ACL injury.

What he didn't anticipate were the stress fractures, discovered as he tried to get ready to play in the Memorial.

"The stress fractures that were discovered just prior to the tournament unfortunately prevented me from participating and had a huge impact on the timing for my return," Woods said. "I was determined though, to do everything and anything in my power to play in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, which is a course that is close to where I grew up and holds many special memories for me."

Woods won for the eighth time at the public golf course in San Diego - a U.S. Open, a record six times at the Buick Invitational, and a Junior World Championship as a teenager.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2008-06-18 11:34:34

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1282 comments

diablosoy 01:29:42 PM Jun 23 2008

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LOOK THE MONKEY WOODS HURT HIS KNEE!!! STOP CLIMBING TREES GO HOME!!!

davstrbl 11:39:45 AM Jun 22 2008

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Me wanting hime to win doesn't make me a true fan. Watching golf regardless of who is playing makes me a true fan. My point is that while Tiger is my favorite, I'm not losing sleep over his abscence. IF my least favorite (Rory) goes on a run the last half of the season, I won't turn it off just because I don't like him. I won't like him winning, but I'll still watch. Ok, Rory might be a bad example - it seems a bit implausible that he'll go on a run I was just trying to make a point.
Anywho... Glad to hear your blood pressure is under control :)

curleyshirley 08:03:16 AM Jun 22 2008

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davstrbl 09:46:08 PM Jun 21 2008

Report This! shirley, I couldn't quite understand your last rant but don't bother to explain. All I was trying to say is I'm concerned about your blood pressure. If watching without Tiger helps - that's great.
I want Tiger to win every time he plays, but I'm a true fan and will still be watching as much as possible. I would never not watch because of how the media covers someone - but that's just me.

wanting him to win every game makes you a true fan? ..being sick of a 4 hour tiger wood show does not? please..if you'd care to read these ..I'm not even close to the only one with these feelings about him.. but whatever floats your boat..as for my blood pressure?..it is just fine..and yes I will enjoy watching the rest of the season

davstrbl 09:46:08 PM Jun 21 2008

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shirley, I couldn't quite understand your last rant but don't bother to explain. All I was trying to say is I'm concerned about your blood pressure. If watching without Tiger helps - that's great.
I want Tiger to win every time he plays, but I'm a true fan and will still be watching as much as possible. I would never not watch because of how the media covers someone - but that's just me.

curleyshirley 07:57:30 AM Jun 21 2008

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davstrbl 05:56:15 PM Jun 20 2008

Report This! Hater's take solice, you have at least until next spring to get that blood pressure down.
LOL HATERS?? YOUR PROBLEM IS YOU CANT EXCEPT REALITY..YOUR ONE OF THOSE WANNA BE JOCKS AND WILL FOLLOW NO MATTER..LOST OF GREATPLAYERS OUT THER AND IT WILL BE A PLESURE TO "FINALLY "SEE THEM AND NOT 4 HOURS OF HIM..OLD AND BORING

curleyshirley 07:54:22 AM Jun 21 2008

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merryglazner 09:24:08 PM Jun 20 2008

Report This! i enjoy watching Tiger play golf. He is making history both on the course and off the course through his unselfish contributions and programs for Foundations for kids to have a chance. he always delivers spectatular shots and putts that are exciting to watch. If everyone was followed with a camera in their face, we would undoubtedly hear some of the same language and see some of the same reactions.

The reason he is shown on television so much is he is ahead and that is the time slot for whoever is ahead.
THIS IS PURE BULL.. THEY DO THAT EVEN WHEN HE IS NOT..THE LEADER.. I WATCH WAY TO MUCH GOLF SO DONT TRY AND FEED THIS CRAP.. I WILL ONCE AGAIN ENJOY WATCHING AND MAYBE HE CAN LEARN TO CURB HIS NASTY TEMPER AND FOUL MOUTH..THEY HAVE CODDLED HIM WAY TO LONG..BELIEVE ME..I'M FAR FROM ALONE IN THIS THOUGHT..

Also everyone who plays any sport has the same equipment and the same opportunities to compete with the best of them. it is up

andreacemarshall 11:20:55 PM Jun 20 2008

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GOLFERS ! Don't worry Tiger will be back ! He will be watching his buddy Roger Federer tryint to win his 6th Wimbledon in a row. NOW THAT'S DOMINANT ON GRASS. At age 26 he has won 12 out of his last 20 majors and when you compare him to the rest of the field COMBINED who has 13 majors he owns almost 50% of the total majors on the ATP Tour.

merryglazner 09:24:08 PM Jun 20 2008

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i enjoy watching Tiger play golf. He is making history both on the course and off the course through his unselfish contributions and programs for Foundations for kids to have a chance. he always delivers spectatular shots and putts that are exciting to watch. If everyone was followed with a camera in their face, we would undoubtedly hear some of the same language and see some of the same reactions. The reason he is shown on television so much is he is ahead and that is the time slot for whoever is ahead. Also everyone who plays any sport has the same equipment and the same opportunities to compete with the best of them. it is up to the individual to excel. Tiger has that drive..More power to him. i will be anxiously awaiting his return and praying for a complete recovery.. Thank you. Go Tiger.......You can do it.

curleyshirley 08:32:45 PM Jun 20 2008

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davstrbl 05:59:27 PM Jun 20 2008

Report This! There certainly are a lot of others playing great on tour. The problem is, there isn't one or two that can do it with any consistentcy. Maybe if someone would step up and actually challenge him, it may be exciting. But to hope Tiger stays out just so others can win seems like a loser mentality.

whatever.. he does nothing for me and loser or not? I care less whenor if he returns..4 hours if him every Sunday is not tmy hing..and they forever do over kill with him..personally I think they insult all the other players..especially that Miller guy and in the 18 hole playoff..I finally did what I alwasy do used the mute..and Rocco matched him hole for hole and they barely mentioned..it just to much

davstrbl 05:59:27 PM Jun 20 2008

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There certainly are a lot of others playing great on tour. The problem is, there isn't one or two that can do it with any consistentcy. Maybe if someone would step up and actually challenge him, it may be exciting. But to hope Tiger stays out just so others can win seems like a loser mentality.

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