The lousy timing of Tiger Woods’ most recent surgery has been virtually ignored by the golf media. To date, the only person other than myself who thinks it is worth mentioning is the outspoken John Hawkins. On the Golf Channel he said that Tiger should have had it done last fall. It would have been the perfect time, as the time line of events below indicates.
12/12/02 Second surgery
2/13/03 First round of the Buick, which he won
5/6/07 Tiger says his knee is a problem at the Wachovia Championships
5/13/07 Tiger repeats that it’s a problem at The PLAYERS
7/1/07 (App.) Doctors told him that surgery is needed in mid ‘07
9/30 Last day of the President Cup
73 day gap – the best time in the off season (Note: if he misses the Target World, the gap is 114 days)
12/13/07 First round of the Target World
1/24/08 First round of the Buick Invitational
4/13/08 Last round of the Masters
4/15/08 Surgery
57 day gap – the worst time in the heart of the golf season
6/12/08 First round of the US Open
Here’s one big problem:
What is the best time in Tiger’s view is at odds with what is the best time for the golf world and its sponsors, which depend on him heavily, especially in today’s weak economy.
RSS
2 responses so far ↓
1 Vic Olegario // Apr 19, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I don’t think this is a question of timing but more so of necessity. If you have this condition which I had and underwent this same type of surgery, you don’t think of when you should have it done but rather how necessary is it. Only Tiger can answer this and for him the time as right after the Master’s which probably aggravated his knee and called for the surgery two days after the tournament.
I am sure he didn’t want to have this surgery if he thought it wasn’t necessary.
2 Jacon Chun // Jun 19, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I don’t know if the timing of the surgery was necessarily dictated by the sponsors and the golf world, but rather by Tiger. You can see my take on it at my blog- http://www.espt-ca.blogspot.com. I know some people that do elect to not have the ACL surgery, but that is their choice. In Tiger’s case, he now knows that there is no other option. And for those who think that he will not come back better, just wait. He’s been playing the last year on 1 leg!!!
Leave a Comment