“I don't really care about that" – Tiger Woods prioritizes playtime with son Charlie over recovery 

Tiger Woods pulled out of this month's Hero World Challenge due to a foot injury. However, the legendary golfer chose against taking an extended recovery from the injury stand and has teed up at the PNC Championship.

Speaking to reporters at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, Woods said that he would choose to play alongside his son Charlie rather than recover from his injury. The golfer sounded like he fully embraced the risk of extending the injury to spend game time with his son at the PNC Championship.

The 15-time major champion said on Friday (December 16):

"You know, I don't really care about that. I think being there with and alongside my son is far more important, and get to have a chance to have this experience with him is far better than my foot being a little creaky."

With the comment, Woods conceded that the injury could take a toll on his 2023 schedule. However, the golfer seemed adamant about competing alongside his 13-year-old son. Putting the event as a top priority, Woods said that he was okay with spending more time in recovery later.

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Tiger Woods' comeback at The Match

It is pertinent to note that Tiger Woods teamed up with Rory McIlroy for The Match last weekend. The golfer got his first taste of competitive golf since July by competing against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth in Florida. Despite losing the event, Woods seemed happy to have just played some golf.

However, ahead of the event, Woods had stated that he had a “tough road” ahead of him with injuries. The golfer revealed that he could swing his golf club, but had trouble walking. Ironically, he had admitted that his current plantar took a “lot of rest” to heal. He said that he’d use a golf cart at the exhibition event.

Speaking about this at a promotional event, Tiger Woods said:

"I can hit golf balls, it's just hard to get from point A to point B, so (the cart) will certainly help a lot."

Addressing the “tough road” to recovery ahead of him, he added:

"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."

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Tiger Woods played just nine rounds of golf in 2022

Tiger Woods had a forgettable 2022. The golfer spent most of the year in rehab owing to injuries sustained from his career-threatening car crash in February 2021.

He made a return to the competitive field with The 150th Open. However, the golfer failed to make the cut at his beloved St. Andrews and walked off to an emotional reception.

Following this, the 46-year-old competed at the Masters and finished 47th. It got worse as he was forced to pull out of the PGA Championship after the third round due to intense pain. For Woods, this was progress.

He said:

"I played more this year than I certainly thought at the beginning of the year. I was just hoping, as I said to you guys earlier, just to play the British Open at St Andrews.

"But I got the chance to play in three major championships. So that's far, far more than what I had expected going into the year. So it's been a positive."

It’s safe to assume that Tiger Woods will look to make a strong comeback in 2023 even as talk of his retirement looms in the air.