Tiger Woods says he needed help out of bed for 4-6 months and returning to golf wasn't even on his mind
- Tiger Woods said his back was so bad that he needed help out of bed for several months.
- Woods said his latest back surgery, his fourth in four years, has removed all pain, but he's less flexible than he used to be.
- Since returning to golf, Woods has had two back-to-back top-10 finishes, a promising start, given the condition of his back in recent years.
Tiger Woods has returned to golf in a way few could have ever seen coming.
In his previous three tournaments, Woods has finished 12th, tied for second, and tied for fifth, taking first place at various stages of those tournaments.
Woods has looked nothing like a player who has undergone four back surgeries and sat out of the game for months at a time. In an interview with ESPN, Woods shed some light on the extent of his back pain, saying he couldn't get out of bed on his own for four to six months.
"The low periods were for a better part of four to six months that I had to be helped out of bed every day," Woods said. "And there were some days, even where you'd help me, I couldn't stand up. I'd have to either just fall to the floor or just stay in bed."
In the past, Woods has given various updates about the tremendous back pain with which he was dealing. In particular, he told one alarming story about falling down while practicing and being unable to get up until his daughter found him and got help.
Woods told ESPN that during those low points, he wasn't even thinking about returning to golf, just trying to get better.
"Coming back and playing golf was never in my thoughts," Woods said. "It was just, 'How do I get away from this pain?' How can I live life again?'"
Woods said he couldn't swing a golf club or play with his kids. He felt envious watching his younger son play golf.
Woods said he is now pain-free in his lower back, but his body has changed. He said it takes him longer to warm up and that he's less flexible than he used to be.
While Woods' game hasn't been flawless and doesn't actually resemble his old game very much, considering where he was at certain points over the last three years, his comeback has been promising.
Watch the clip of the interview below: