The Match: Tiger Woods says surgery never an option as he battles to overcome plantar fasciitis

Tiger Woods said going down the surgical route to alleviate his plantar fasciitis was never an option.

At the time of his withdrawal, Woods said he could hit shots but walking was a huge problem.

“I can hit golf balls, it’s just hard to get from point A to point B,” Woods said. “I’ve got to get this plantar to heal and that just takes time. It’s not something that happens overnight. It’s going to take a lot of rest and healing and unfortunately, treatment.

“It’s a tough road.”

Woods will be in action this week for the seventh edition of The Match.

Walking will be less of a concern as he will be provided with a cart at Pelican Golf Club, as he tees it up alongside Rory McIlroy with the two taking on Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.

Surgery is seen as a last resort with regard to plantar fasciitis, and Woods said the preferred option was to go with the tried-and-tested route of rest.

“It is case of getting off my feet, which I have been doing, and continue to do and sleep at night with a boot on and stretch it out,” Woods said. “You don’t want to go down the surgical route. Injections, surgery, or stretch and relax and I chose stretch and relax.”

The injury came at a bad time for Woods, who was stepping up his workload after a period of inactivity.

He played only three times in the 2022 season, due to the injured leg he was contending with following a car accident the previous year.

“I had been playing well,” Woods said. “I would walk nine holes and shoot four- or five-under. But it is just the long haul. I cannot walk for too long a period of time.”

Following The Match, which is live on Eurosport and discovery+ on Saturday night, Woods will team up with his son Charlie at the PNC Championship.

His focus will then shift to 2023, and getting ready for what will almost certainly be a limited schedule focused on the majors.

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