Left Knee Injury Forces Tiger Woods Out Of Charlotte Event
Written by She Ng on Wednesday, April 27th, 2011
Former world No.1 Tiger Woods will not play next week’s US PGA event in Charlotte because of a sprained left knee ligament and strained left Achilles tendon suffered at the Masters.
Tiger suffered the injury during a shot at the Masters more than two weeks ago. On hole No. 17, Tiger played a “difficult and awkward” shot from the pine needles under the Eisenhower tree on the left side of the fairway. He’s expected to make a return to action in a few weeks, but for now, it’s rest and cold-water therapy, per doctor’s orders, along with soft tissue treatment.
“I personally contacted tournament officials and expressed my regret in not being able to play,” Woods said. “This is an outstanding event, but I must follow doctors’ orders to get better.”
Any setback in his recovery could affect his participation in The Players Championship (12-15 May).
The tournament at Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, is regarded as golf’s unofficial fifth major.
Woods, who has not won since his infamous sex scandal erupted 17 months ago, said there is no time frame for his return but that he hoped to be back in a few weeks.
“Minor injury keeps me from playing Wells Fargo next week. Apologies to tourney & fans, but working hard to get healthy,” Woods posted on his Twitter microblogging site.
“This is precautionary. We’re not at all concerned,” said Mark Steinberg, his agent at International Management Group. “He’s just listening to his doctors, which is kind of nice. He certainly didn’t listen to them before the US Open in 2008.”
Woods won the last of his major titles at the 2008 US Open and has not won a tournament since the Australian Masters in 2009.
Woods’s health is becoming a possible barrier in his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major titles.
He has had four operations on his left knee, most recently after that Torrey Pines US Open win in 2008, after which he spent eight months out of the game recovering.
On his return from scandal in 2010, he also revealed he had ruptured the Achilles in his right leg in December 2008.
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