Tiger Woods doesn’t want it that way.
As the golf icon continues to recover from Tuesday’s landslide wreck outside of Los Angeles, Woods realizes his link-making career could be in jeopardy, People reported.
“He doesn’t want his career to end like this,” a source close to the 45-year-old said on Wednesday. “So if there’s any way to keep playing golf, it will.”
Woods, who underwent back surgery to remove a fragment of a disc cut in a nerve after the December PNC Championship, is “frustrated” by his last obstacle in his once seemingly unstoppable career.
He also wants to get back on the green as soon as possible if he is physically capable, the source said.
“2021 was expected to be the year of his return,” the source continued. “It simply came to our notice then. And that is disappointing for him. ”
But Woods – who has had nine previous surgeries in his career – believes he can add a dramatic comeback to his already impressive resume, the source said.
“This is a massive failure and he knows it is a massive failure,” the source told People. “But he overcame the obstacles of the past and thinks he can do it again.”
Woods was aware when he was pulled through the front windshield of a 2021 Genesis GV80 luxury SUV that crashed into a problematic part of the descent from Rancho Palos Verdes.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva described the accident as “purely an accident” and ruled out criminal charges against Woods.
“He was not drunk,” Villanueva said Wednesday. “We can throw that one out.”
If Woods returns to golf, he will try to break his record of 82 wins in the PGA Tour and add to his top 15 leagues, second only to Jack Nicklaus.
Woods doesn’t seem to remember the wreckage of a single vehicle, which left him with his right foot broken. The doctors also put a rod in his leg and put screws in his leg and ankle, according to a statement posted on Twitter.
Meanwhile, an orthopedic surgeon at a California hospital told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday that rods, bolts and pins, such as those used to stabilize Woods, are often meant to stay in the patient’s body for life.
“My expectation would be that I would not anticipate it and walk for a while,” Dr. Gregory Tennant of Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fontana told the newspaper.
Tennant, who does not treat Woods while returning to Harbor Medical Center-UCLA, said the accident could affect his often-affected back.
“Trauma is never really an isolated event,” Tennant told the newspaper. “It’s not uncommon to identify injuries – even significant injuries – days later, because the initial high-energy injuries are treated.”
But betting against Woods’ return would be foolish, the surgeon suggested.
“Tiger Woods has won his whole life and one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t bet against the winners,” Tennant said. “You are not betting on Michael Jordan. Don’t bet against Tiger Woods. ”