The legendary Tiger Woods appeared on the track for the first time since ankle surgery in April. The American participated in a competition organized by him in the Bahamas.

Tiger Woods and mental problems when returning to the field

“I felt rusty. I didn’t have a great feeling and the conditions were quite difficult,” said the 47-year-old Wood after the first day of the Hero World Challenge tournament he organized, to which 20 players were invited, AFP reported, citing Agerpres. .

Mentally, I didn’t have the same attitude as usual. Physically, I knew it would work. But mentally I was rusty and made a lot of mistakes that I usually don’t make,” the American added.

Severely injured in a car accident in February 2021, Tiger Woods did not play again until last year at the Augusta Masters, where he finished 47th. In 2023, he appeared in the third round of that tournament before undergoing surgery on his right ankle in April as a result of his accident.

His performance on Thursday was average, finishing 18th out of 20, far behind the two leaders, his compatriots Brian Harman and Tony Finau.

Woods, who turns 48 on Dec. 30, admitted he finished the day in “pain.”

“Leg, back, neck, just from hitting the ball. In a tournament, speed is different from training,” he said.