Tiger Woods said Tuesday he has a "long way to go" in his bid to compete against the world's best golfers as he continues to recover from his latest pain-relieving back surgery in September.
"I'm just progressively trying to test it, keep making progress without setting it off," said the 15-time major champion, who nevertheless remained confident he would return to competition even though he couldn't say when.
"I don't want to have any setbacks, just want to keep making progress and give myself the best chance going into next year as possible," said Woods, who will turn 49 on December 30.
"I feel like I'm getting stronger, I'm getting more pliable, but I've got a long way to go to be able to compete against these guys."
Woods was speaking before the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, the tournament he hosts for the benefit of his charitable foundation.
He has used the limited-field event in the past to launch a return from injury, but said that this year he just wasn't ready.
"I'm not tournament sharp yet, no. I'm still not there," he said. "So when I'm ready to compete and play at this level, then I will."
Woods hasn't played since he missed the cut at the British Open in July.
Playing a limited schedule in 2024 as he continued to deal with injuries sustained in a 2021 car crash, Woods withdrew from the Genesis Invitational because of illness then finished last among those who made the cut at the Masters.
He missed the cut at the PGA Championship and US Open before missing the cut at Royal Troon.
"The fire still burns to compete," the US superstar said. "The difference is the recovery of the body to do it is not what it used to be...
"That's part of age and part of an athlete's journey."
Woods said his back trouble, which caused painful muscle spasms and pain that radiated down one leg, became progressively worse as 2024 went on.
While the procedure successfully alleviated the pain, he said, Woods couldn't yet say how much he would play in 2025 after aiming to play one tournament a month in 2024."Whether my commitment going forward is once a month, yeah, I could say that all over again, but I truly don't know," he said. "I'm just trying to rehab and still get stronger and better and feel better, really give myself the best chance I can going into next year." Woods has 'long way to go' after latest back surgery
Tiger Woods buried his face in a white towel, then threw it at his bag with undisguised contempt. His tee shot at the par-5 seventh had landed in gnarly rough, and going for the green appeared out of the question. When Woods exchanged a hybrid club for a short iron to lay up, he had unofficially thrown in the towel. There would be no Sunday charge at the PGA Championship. Woods shot a par 72 in the final round for a total of 286 and a tie for 11th place. His chase of Jack Nicklaus’s record 18 majors remains stalled at 14, and he has still never won a major when trailing after 54 holes. Eighteen majors have come and gone since Woods limped his way around Torrey Pines on an injured left knee and won the 2008 US Open in a playoff. That was a time when Woods rarely yielded a lead. His invincibility began to shatter three years ago when Y E Yang chased him down at the 2009 PGA. This year, Woods has struggled on the weekends at majors as never before. For the second time in the past three majors, Woods shared the 36-hole lead and squandered his opportunity. Woods entered the third round at the top with Carl Pettersson and Vijay Singh at four under, but it took only seven holes for him to tumble down the leader board. When bad weather halted play in the third round, he had slipped five shots behind the leaders. Some thought the overnight break would rejuvenate Woods. But when play resumed Sunday, he wrapped up his front nine of the third round in four-over-par 40. Only one golfer in the field, Scott Piercy, shot a higher score. “I came out, probably, with the wrong attitude,” Woods said. “I was too relaxed and tried to enjoy it, and that’s not how I play,” he said. “I play intense and full systems go. That cost me.” It used to be that whenever Woods looked to be on the brink of disaster, he summoned recovery shots that left fans breathless. For the first two days of the PGA Championship, his putter bailed him out; he took only 46 putts and had 23 one-putt greens. On Sunday, Woods returned with his red shirt and his brooding intensity and made three birdies and one bogey to finish with a 74 in the third round. But Woods’s velvety touch on the greens disappeared, and he was never within four strokes of Rory McIlroy, the eventual winner, during the final round. Over the weekend, Woods required 30 putts in each round. Most staggering, he failed to break par in any weekend round at the four majors this year. At the Masters, Woods closed with 72-74 and finished tied for 40th. Then, at the US Open, Woods shared the 36-hole lead but bogeyed four of his first eight holes on Saturday and plummeted out of contention with a five-over 75. Woods’s conservative game plan off the tee at the British Open worked wonders for two days but he shot 143 on the weekend and tied for third. It was two years ago at the 2010 PGA Championship that Woods committed to reinventing his swing with the instructor Sean Foley. The results so far are mixed. His failure to finish at majors suggests there is still work to be done. Golf commentator Frank Nobilo saidd, “When Tiger is desperate, then all of the sudden his golf becomes — I would never use the word ordinary, but it comes pretty close to it.” Woods was asked if it was harder to win a major than it was 10 years ago. “Is it harder?” he said. “Well, I haven’t won one, so probably.” It was another lost year for Woods at the majors. With McIlroy and several others showing no fear at the majors, the road will be tougher. And now Woods’s pursuit of his 15th major will have to wait until April. 
