Tiger Woods spoke with ESPN.com yesterday about how his rehab was going and when he thought he’d be back in action on the PGA Tour. He also talked briefly about the US team winning the Ryder Cup a few weeks back, when he might retire from golf and about the upcoming birth of his second child.
I have to admit that Tiger is definitely being conservative in his rehab. He even alluded to this when he mentioned other athletes like NFL players coming back form ACL reconstruction in as little as 4 months with the first one popping in mind being Rod Woodson the former cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He came back from ACL reconstruction in around 3 1/2 months which is extremely fast. I’ve actually torn both my ACL’s, had reconstruction done on them and it honestly took me about 9 months before I could play sports again and about 2 years before the knee really felt completely healed. Then again I had my surgeries about 15 years ago and obviously technology has changed a lot and rehab times have shortened due to less damage/stress being put on the knee during surgeries.
While I think Tiger is probably being conservative I actually think he’s been perfectly fine with taking time off from full-time golf. It sounds like it’s been giving him some time to focus on some business ventures, time to relax from traveling so much and also the ability to spend a good amount of quality time with his wife Elin and daughter Sam.
If I was a betting man (which I occasionally am) I would guess Tiger will miss defending the Buick Open at Torrey Pines where he last played a competitive round of golf when he won the US Open and will probably play once or twice in the 2 or 3 weeks leading right up to the Masters. My guess is he’ll hold out until March 26-29, 2009 for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It’s got Arnie, it’s close to his house in Florida and will allow him plenty of time to rehab and practice near his home right up until it’s time to get ready to head up to Georgia for The Masters in Augusta.
Here’s the video from ESPN.com of Tiger discussing these topics.
My name is Bryan Hauer and I was born on January 11, 1976 in St. Paul, MN. Although my friends liked to kid me about it I am no relation as far as I know to the actor Rutger Hauer.
I grew up mostly in Minnesota and Wisconsin as I attended grade school in St. Paul, MN and junior high and high school in Racine, WI. After graduating high school I then went on to attend college in LaCrosse, WI.
Although I was born in Minnesota and lived there and Wisconsin most of my younger years, I've also lived in quite a few other states. 
