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Picture an injured Tiger Woods hobbling to the yard of his Florida home just to feel the touch of grass on his skin.
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Tiger Woods fighting to return after car crash severely injured leg – Toronto Sun
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“Sometimes I’d just crutch and lay on the grass for an hour because I want to be outside,” Woods told Golf Digest‘s Henni Koyack in a 40-minute interview released Monday.
That happened. So did the car crash. So did the 10 surgeries before the accident. So did the 2019 Masters win. So did the 82 PGA Tour wins. So did everything else that seemed impossible to imagine before Woods came along.
In his first public appearances since the February collision, Woods described what it was like spending three weeks in the hospital, and three months in a hospital bed at home following the crash that threatened to have his right leg amputated.
“It’s hard to explain how difficult it has been just to be immobile for the three months, just lay there and I was just looking forward to getting outside,” Woods said from the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas on Tuesday. “That was a goal of mine. Especially for a person who has lived his entire life outside, that was the goal.”
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Now back on his feet, but admittedly in pain simply sitting for his first press conference since the accident, Tiger’s future goals on the golf course were made slightly more clear. In Monday’s interview with Golf Digest, Woods said his days as a full-time tour player are unequivocally over, but didn’t rule out playing select events much like Ben Hogan did following his 1949 car crash.
“After my back fusion, I had to climb Mount Everest one more time,” he said. “I had to do it, and I did. This time around, I don’t think I’ll have the body to climb Mount Everest and that’s OK.”
On Tuesday, Woods reiterated his plan, strongly hinting that another limited comeback is indeed in the cards.
“To ramp up for a few events a year as I alluded to yesterday as Mr. Hogan did, he did a pretty good job of it, and there’s no reason that I can’t do that and feel ready,” he said.
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That comment immediately had people jumping to guess where he might make his return. Will it miraculously be two weeks from now at the 36-hole, cart-friendly, father-son PNC Championship where he looked so happy with son Charlie last year? Perhaps it will be the Masters in April, or the Open Championship at St Andrews in July?
“I would love to be able to play that Open Championship, there’s no doubt about it,” he said. “Physically, hopefully I can. I’ve got to get there first.”
There’s a big difference between preparing for a hit-and-giggle event with his son and taking on the best in the world at a major championship. And for the first time in his life there is reason to believe his desire to climb the mountain has waned.
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“I don’t foresee this leg ever being what it used to be, hence I’ll never have my back what it used to be, and clock’s ticking,” he said. “All that combined means that a full schedule and a full practice schedule and the recovery that it would take to do that, no, I don’t have any desire to do that.”
Throughout both interviews, what jumps out is how at peace Woods seems with his current situation. Even before his accident, there was a sense that the game’s most intense competitor had found joy in finally taking his foot off the gas pedal. The Tiger we’ve seen following his unlikely 2019 Masters win, and this week, seems happy to wrap himself in the warm blanket of nostalgia. He was asked if it’s hard to potentially have his career ended by injury and not on his own terms.
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“No, it’s very easy, given the fact that I was able to come back after the fusion surgery and do what I did,” he said. “I got that last major and I ticked off two more events along the way.”
Who are we to argue?
What we’re witnessing is Tiger happy to see a future that he can enjoy. In many ways this fulfilled Tiger is the one we blamed him for not being his entire life, despite secretly admiring the never satisfied cut-throat version that perpetually ran himself into the ground.
Turning 46 at the end of the year, the golf world is hoping for another grueling comeback attempt, but there’s one last person who needs convincing.
“We had a talk within the family, all of us sat down and said if this leg cooperates and I get to a point where I can play the tour, is it OK with you guys if I try and do it. The consensus was yes,” he said. “Internally, I haven’t reached that point. … I haven’t decided whether or not I want to get to that point. I’ve got to get my leg to a point where that decision can be made. And we’ll see what happens when I get to that point, but I’ve got a long way to go with this leg.”
From your back, laying on the ground, nothing looks bigger than a mountain. In the months ahead we’ll find out how badly Tiger wants one last glimpse of how small the world looks from the top.
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TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Sports
Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
___
AP cricket:
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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