Woods, who returns to competition on Thursday in the Hero World Challenge, played his first official practice round in 10 months yesterday and also revealed that having his two young children around him throughout his lay-off kept him ‘sane’.
Woods, 41, had a fourth back surgery on April 19 and turned back the clock yesterday with an impressive display in practice, out-driving partner, Patrick Reed by 30 yards at the first on route to the first of four birdies over his nine holes.
But it has taken many months of agony for Woods to reach this point. He said: “Many may forget that I spent much of this year in bed so much I couldn’t even get out of bed to have a ****.
“Often I needed help just to get out of bed. Often, I would have to roll myself out of bed and take a **** in a bucket because I physically could not do something as basic as go to the toilet by myself.
“The thing is pain is so personal and no one knows the pain I endured. We know what nerve pain can be like and no one can go through it with you and no one could understand the pain I was going through.
“I was just using drugs on top of drugs just trying to kill the nerve pain. I was like something hitting your body about 200 times a day. And the thing is that I didn’t know when it was coming.
“But that I’m fully healthy again there is no way I cannot stay healthy. I can’t see any reason why not and, while I’m pleased with how I’m hitting the ball, it is still just small steps for me at the moment.”
At the 18th, Woods outdrove Hazeltine Ryder Cup winning Reed by all of 60 yards, showing no signs of any back concern by going 100 per cent in every shot and not flinching at all, even in picking-up a tee.
Woods indicated the only medicine of sorts he is currently taking is anti-inflamatories.
The upside of Woods again being side-lined for so long is that he had got to spend more time with his two children, Sam and Charlie.
“Having them around the house kept me sane,” he said. “Charlie’s right into soccer big time – big time. His favourite player is Lionel Messi. He just loves the game and enjoys watching him compete.
“We met him some time back and he gets about the house wearing a Messi Barcelona top – he just lives in it.”
Reed, who last fortnight had led the opening round of the European Tour season-ending DP World Tour Championship, is just pleased to see Woods again competing.
“I want to see again the Tiger Woods from 1999 to 2001 and I want to play alongside the best golfer ever to live on this planet,” said Reed.
“Tiger looked this morning he was playing pain free and down the last there, he out-drove me by 60 yards and he out-drove me every hole of the nine we played.
“Though the last there was the first one he embarrassed me on but then I did not expect him to come back if he could not give 100 per cent and unless his golf game was ready.
“I was very impressed about him going out and being able to hit the golf shots he wanted, including being able to use his drive to draw and fade the ball.
“He was to able to hit all the shots this morning he wanted to and not once flinch or pick his tee up gingerly and also just walk at his normal pace with a real spring in his step. That is was impressed me most about Tiger this morning.”
