Tiger Knee Talk

I was chatting with a fellow writer today about Tiger Woods' injury and the accusation made by Derek Lawrenson.  You may recall that Lawrenson suggested the press obediently reported his 4-6 week recovery time without skepticism about the severity of his knee condition.

Or maybe Tiger just doesn't really like to play that often anymore?

The rehab provides him a nice window to rest up and prepare for the U.S. Open while skipping Wachovia and The Players, two courses he's probably seen enough of (really, how many times can you say they're "all right in front of you"?).

Interestingly, Thomas Bonk speculates in the L.A. Times that Woods is not likely for the Memorial either and Bonk usually is spot on when it comes to guessing Tiger's schedule.

I find it hard to believe Tiger would not want one tune up event prior to Torrey Pines, but as Bonk points out, the weather at Memorial and the chance for a knee re-injury might scare him away.

Meanwhile Golf World's Tim Rosaforte files a lengthy piece on Tiger's knee. He points out the sensitive subject of whether Tiger tweaked the knee during his awkward PGA Championship fist pump, and also brings up something I've been wondering about: can Tiger really continue to keep running on the back streets of Isleworth?

Being in Las Vegas allowed him to check in with strength coach Keith Kleven, who is based there. According to sources, Kleven has been working with Woods for some time, rehabbing the knee and trying to get the game's best player to cut back on his running and heavy training -- not to mention high-impact activities such as parachuting and skiing ("the ballistic workouts," Bradley calls them), which Woods enjoys. The golfer has listened. He did not go on his annual Christmas-break trip to the slopes. In this period Woods' productivity has not suffered -- but his pain level has not subsided. Now begins the tediousness of rehab. As Woods said on his website, "The upside is I've been through this process before and I know how to handle it."

Comments

[Hawkeye]

I know from personal experience that jogging on asphalt messes with your knee pretty bad, and I don't put nearly as many miles on the clock as Woods does.

Most disturbing in the piece, however, was to find out that Woods is a Van Halen fan...

[Crosbys Pipe]

It sucks getting older.

[John Sullivan]

This topic is almost as boring as as the FEDUP cup !!!

[S&T Convert]

Great accusation....NFL players often can return to action 2-4 weeks after being "scoped".

[Bill V]

As someone having been in a knee or two, my latest comments have been up since the surgery was announced.

Geoff has never linked me, but just click on the one here and you real what I have to say.

Just remember Bill Clinton's "I gave answers that were 'legally correct'". Tiger's team seems to have that mastered this time. Last time the "Fluid around the ACL" (if you google or Yahoo or whatever it) was and is completely unfindable as it is nothing but obsfucation.

I'd want to milk a $Billion cow if I had one, so I can't say I'd blame them, but there is far more to Tiger's knee than a little cartilage work.

redandoc

[Smolmania]

I don't think those players are coming back after a piece of cartilage has been removed, however. That's supposedly what occurred on this occasion in Mr. Woods' knee.

[Miss Manners]

As Mr. Tiger has discarded junk food, so should he discard junk music. It is beneath his position as Messiah.

[RT]

I know Tiger grew up as the son of an Asian woman and an African American father, but how does one get a love of Van Halen out of that? He's about a decade too young to have been a fan, and man, shouldn't he have been into early hip-hop or something a bit more culturally relevant to him? Oh I forget -- all he did was hang around golf courses with old white men.

[pa boy]

Geoff:

You really find Pete Dye's TPC course to be one right in front of you? You must live a sheltered life. I know the planting of trees down the left side of #16 is just stupid. But it is not all right in front of you, especially if they can get to firm and fast conditions that they say they want. Better to say Tiger only want's to play against the best fields if he is playing Majors especially on courses where most players have played only few rounds (an advantage for the best golfer ever).

[Joe]

I'm sure Tiger's love for Van Halen started when they agreed to play at his Tiger Jam event. What is he supposed to say ":I've never heard of them" or "I hate their music"

Of course he's going to say he's a fan. He's trying to promote this thing.

Also he's not too young to be a fan of Van Halen. I'm a couple of years younger than Tiger and I remember them being pretty big.

[Robert Thompson]

Joe: So what you are saying is that Tiger is a fan of Van Halen during the period in which they pretty much sucked.

Fair enough.