“It's been a tough road” – Throwback to when an aching Tiger Woods said he was 'thankful' to finish the Masters

Legendary golfer Tiger Woods had a devastating car accident back in 2021, forcing him to miss most of his matches. The star golfer was on complete bed rest until he dragged himself around at the Augusta National Championships in April 2022.

Tiger played 72 holes in four days with intense pain etched across his face. With scorching heat on his head, pain in his leg, and a putter in hand, Tiger Woods fought like a warrior and finished with a score of +13.

He defined the tournament as his biggest victory. Tiger Woods said:

"It's been a tough road, and one that I'm very thankful to have the opportunity to be able to grind through it. A lot of different things could have happened, but 14 months [after the accident], I'm able to tee it up and play in the Masters.”

Woods swirled the ball slowly up the hill, only to be welcomed by his family. His mother, Kultida, hugged and cheered for him.

It is important to note that Tiger Woods is on hiatus due to injury but will return to play at The Match on December 10.

He will be teaming up with current World No.1 golfer Rory McIlroy to play against a team of Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.

While Tiger will be playing in the tournament for the third time, the other three golfers will make their debuts at The Match.

Besides this, rumors are that last year's defending champions, Tiger and Charlie Woods, will be returning for the 2022 PNC Championship scheduled for December 15-18 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando in Grande Lakes.

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Tiger Woods would have lost his right leg in the car accident

A year ago, Tiger Woods lost control of Genesis SUV while driving outside the hills in Los Angeles. The brutal incident shocked fans, and there was hardly any hope left that Tiger could return to the course.

The 15-time major champion revealed that he would have lost his right leg in the accident. Tiger was involved in a single rollover car crash around 7 am in February 2021 and struck a curb but was taken to a hospital immediately.

The SUV that Tiger Woods crashed in Southern California (Image via Getty)

Tiger wore a seat belt, which saved him from the worst. However, he suffered multiple open fractures to the right leg. Dr. Anish Mahajan treated him and told the media:

"Comminuted open fractures affecting both upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia. Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combination of screws and pins. Trauma to the muscle and soft tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling."

Tiger Woods has been on a break for the past year. However, he returned in April for a match but found it difficult to compete, and thus, again took a break from playing.

The good news is that Woods will be back on the golf course next month, and fans hope to see him at the star-studded PNC Championships from December 15 to 18.