It's really no surprise, we feared this after watching him play the US Open. Over five days and 91 holes of golf last weekend, Tiger Woods never specifically would reveal why he winced in pain almost every time he pulled out his driver and smacked a tee shot 320 yards down the fairway, why he limped away from Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego after winning the U.S. Open in what he described as the greatest victory of his storied career.
Woods finally told the world yesterday what was ailing him. This time there would be no cryptic answers, no nodding of his head or a "maybe" response when he was asked if his surgically repaired left knee had been further damaged during four rounds of regulation play and another 19 holes in his playoff victory on Monday.
Instead, the No. 1 player in the world announced on his Web site the full extent of the injuries to his left knee and left tibia and said he will not play golf again during the 2008 season: no British Open next month, no PGA Championship in August, no Ryder Cup in September and no AT&T National, his signature event that begins July 3 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda.
Woods revealed that he had ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while running near his home in Orlando last summer after the British Open, and had been hoping to "play through the pain" this year before surgery. He also said he played last week with two stress fractures in his left tibia, the large bone in the lower leg, suffered while he was rehabilitating the knee from surgery on April 15 to repair cartilage damage. He will need reconstructive surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament -- and months of rest to recuperate from the surgery and to allow the damage to the bone to heal.
No date was announced for the surgery and there was no indication from Woods or anyone else in his camp how long his recovery will take after the third operation on the knee in the last five years.
Woods, 32, is considered one of the strongest golfers on the professional tour and generates enormous power with his carefully groomed swing. When he hits the ball, his left leg absorbs much of the force of his downward motion and twists slightly on impact -- a combination that some medical experts said yesterday may have played a role in his injury.
Sherman Ho, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Chicago and team orthopedist for the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, said the tremendous torque Woods puts on the knee likely has been a contributing factor. "His swing is almost violent," he said. "The amount of stress and torque he puts on his knee is not the same as most pro golfers."
Although Woods had said Monday that he would need to take some time off after the U.S. Open, his announcement yesterday stunned the golfing world as fans, tournament sponsors, television networks and Woods's competitors on the Professional Golfers' Association Tour weighed the effect his lengthy absence would have on the sport.
In recent years, Woods has played a reduced schedule, but his absence the rest of the season from some of the game's marquee events is certain to have an impact on ticket sales and television ratings. NBC Sports' prime-time Sunday night broadcast of the U.S. Open produced the highest national rating for the tournament in six years.
"When he's on TV, you almost have an obligation to pick up the phone and call a friend and tell them you better watch this," said Jon Miller, senior vice president for programming for NBC Sports. "What he did last week just shows you what an exceptional athlete he is. I didn't know the extent of his injuries. I don't think anyone did. To me, it's the most courageous performance I've seen in sports. Ever."
Bret Hart, the president of Congressional, said the AT&T National event would be minimally impacted financially by Woods's absence. He said advance ticket sales have been brisk and corporate hospitality and the pro-am tournament Wednesday -- both big moneymakers -- have been sold out for some time.
Instead, the No. 1 player in the world announced on his Web site the full extent of the injuries to his left knee and left tibia and said he will not play golf again during the 2008 season: no British Open next month, no PGA Championship in August, no Ryder Cup in September and no AT&T National, his signature event that begins July 3 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda.
Woods revealed that he had ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while running near his home in Orlando last summer after the British Open, and had been hoping to "play through the pain" this year before surgery. He also said he played last week with two stress fractures in his left tibia, the large bone in the lower leg, suffered while he was rehabilitating the knee from surgery on April 15 to repair cartilage damage. He will need reconstructive surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament -- and months of rest to recuperate from the surgery and to allow the damage to the bone to heal.
No date was announced for the surgery and there was no indication from Woods or anyone else in his camp how long his recovery will take after the third operation on the knee in the last five years.
Woods, 32, is considered one of the strongest golfers on the professional tour and generates enormous power with his carefully groomed swing. When he hits the ball, his left leg absorbs much of the force of his downward motion and twists slightly on impact -- a combination that some medical experts said yesterday may have played a role in his injury.
Sherman Ho, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Chicago and team orthopedist for the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, said the tremendous torque Woods puts on the knee likely has been a contributing factor. "His swing is almost violent," he said. "The amount of stress and torque he puts on his knee is not the same as most pro golfers."
Although Woods had said Monday that he would need to take some time off after the U.S. Open, his announcement yesterday stunned the golfing world as fans, tournament sponsors, television networks and Woods's competitors on the Professional Golfers' Association Tour weighed the effect his lengthy absence would have on the sport.
In recent years, Woods has played a reduced schedule, but his absence the rest of the season from some of the game's marquee events is certain to have an impact on ticket sales and television ratings. NBC Sports' prime-time Sunday night broadcast of the U.S. Open produced the highest national rating for the tournament in six years.
"When he's on TV, you almost have an obligation to pick up the phone and call a friend and tell them you better watch this," said Jon Miller, senior vice president for programming for NBC Sports. "What he did last week just shows you what an exceptional athlete he is. I didn't know the extent of his injuries. I don't think anyone did. To me, it's the most courageous performance I've seen in sports. Ever."
Bret Hart, the president of Congressional, said the AT&T National event would be minimally impacted financially by Woods's absence. He said advance ticket sales have been brisk and corporate hospitality and the pro-am tournament Wednesday -- both big moneymakers -- have been sold out for some time.
By Leonard ShapiroWashington Post Staff Writer Thursday, June 19, 2008; Page A01
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