TIGER'S SEASON IS OVER (Merged)

[Sixcat]

I am not a surgeon but a big difference between Ernie's injury and Tiger's is the fact that Ernie's was a contact injury (fall from a water tubing incident) and Tiger's is a non-contact wear and tear type injury. The difference is, as I understand it from a close friend in the profession, it is like a piece of paper tearing. If you fold it tightly and tear along the fold, it tears smothly, if you just rip at it it tears jaged and rough.

 

 

On a side note, with Tiger being laid up for the forseeable future, I will start the over/under on Sam having a little brother or sister at 10 months.

[Range-Rat]

Hey Phil, Tiger is out for the year

 

 

 

 

At least someone is happy with this news... :clapping:

 

G

[wntbtw]

Does this mean Tiger will be eligible to win his first 'Comeback Player Of The Year' Award next year?

 

 

I`m wondering the same thing! Just another award he`ll probably win!

 

I`m also wondering if he will win this year`s PGA Tour`s 'Player of the Year' award! He`s won what? The 'Buick' in late January, the WGC 'Match Play Championship' in Feb, 'Bay Hill' in March, and the US Open [plus at 'Dubai' but that doesn`t count!]. Seems to me that he has a great chance to win another 'POY' at the end of this year w/out teeing it up again. It will be fun to watch how that will 'play out'!

[Captain Nimrod]

Man, this is disappointing news. It makes the win at Torrey all the more remarkable.

 

Good news for all the also-rans on the Tour, but it will taint the victories at the Open and PGA for whoever wins them. Maybe Jim Furyk will pull out of his funk now and win something.

[juansky]

Golf is going to get boring now that Tiger is out.

 

At least he'll get to spend quality time with his baby girl!!! :clapping:

[BabyFAcedAssassin]

Wonder who Sergio will blame when he doesn't win the Open or the PGA?

Wonder how stupid Woody Austin and Retief Goosen feel right now?

Makes me laugh when some of you question if he'll ever be back to form, he just won the U.S. Open basically on one leg! What the hell else does he have to do to prove that he isn't like all other professional athletes on the planet?

 

did i miss something that Woody said?

[jcjr34]

I just hope he doesn't do like Annika did and come back on top and retire!

[shortfatdopey]

Funny how things work out. We all started the year talking about how this was going to be the year he wins the grand slam, now it turns to winning comeback player of the year for next year.

 

Looks like he might be looking at consecutive wins at Torry, that will probably be the next time he tees it it up.

[nikemike]

I guess the Goose can get out the ketchup and start eating those last words about Tiger's knee.

As for me and watching PGA golf, my season is over too. :clapping:

[mmercer13]

Wonder who Sergio will blame when he doesn't win the Open or the PGA?

Wonder how stupid Woody Austin and Retief Goosen feel right now?

Makes me laugh when some of you question if he'll ever be back to form, he just won the U.S. Open basically on one leg! What the hell else does he have to do to prove that he isn't like all other professional athletes on the planet?

 

did i miss something that Woody said?

 

Read the first post.

 

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?sh...hl=woody+austin

 

He is a complete idiot.

[drgolfaholic]

He might have the same injury as Ernie, but come on, Tiger and Ernie aren't the same. Tiger will come back just fine. He probably knew going into the Open what the aftermath was going to be win or lose. He will be back at the Masters next year and probably win. Plus Tiger has more drive and will in his bad left knee then Ernie has in his whole body.

 

Wishful thinking....time will tell. It wouldn't surprise me if Tiger's chase for Jack's record will be derailed because of the bummed knee.

[BabyFAcedAssassin]

i missed that thread... you don't have to do much to sell Woody as the village idiot.

[utopiapga]

Well guess there is no doubt that the Tiger haters out there where toatlly wrong about TIGER.........

 

Just too bad it has ended his whole season!

 

Tiger Woods is done for the year, but not without one last major that capped off a painful 10 months.

 

Woods said Wednesday he will have season-ending knee surgery, revealing he has had a torn ligament in his left knee since last July.

 

And he suffered a double stress fracture of his left tibia while preparing to return to the PGA Tour last month, which forced him to miss the Memorial and was the source of his pain at Torrey Pines when he won the U.S. Open.

 

"Now, it is clear that the right thing to do is to listen to my doctors, follow through with this surgery and focus my attention on rehabilitating my knee," Woods said in a statement on his Web site.

 

He had arthroscopic surgery April 15 to clean out cartilage in his left knee, bypassing ACL surgery with hopes it could get him through the 2008 season. But going 91 holes for his 14th career major made it impossible to play any longer.

 

Woods was last seen in public late Monday afternoon walking with a pronounced limp across Torrey Pines toward the parking lot, the U.S. Open trophy in his arms.

 

Upcoming surgery makes his 14th major title even more staggering—despite the stress fractures, he managed to win a U.S. Open that required five days of flinching, grimacing and a long list of spectacular shots that have defined his career.

 

"Although I will miss the rest of the 2008 season, I'm thrilled with the fact that last week was such a special tournament," Woods said.

 

He played only seven times worldwide this year and won five of them. He will miss a major championship for the first time in his career and will not be available for the Ryder Cup in September.

 

It will be the third surgery in five years on his left knee, although Woods said doctors have assured him the outlook is positive. When asked Monday if he further damaged his knee by playing in the U.S. Open, Woods said, "Maybe."

 

Doctors have told him, however, that the stress fractures will heal with time.

 

He did not say when he would have surgery.

 

Woods is ultra private with his health and personal life, never more so than at the U.S. Open. He never mentioned the torn ACL or the stress fracture, and wouldn't say how he was treating it, only that it was more sore as the week went on.

 

Perhaps the biggest surprise was when the injury first happened.

 

Woods said he tore the ACL while jogging at home after the British Open last July. He chose not to have surgery and went on a run that included seven consecutive victories, including the Dubai Desert Classic in Europe and his Target World Challenge, an unofficial event.

 

He did not play overseas late last year for the first time since 2003, hopeful that rest could allow him to play more this year. But the pain intensified through the Masters, where he finished second, and Woods said the cartilage damage developed from the ACL injury.

 

What he didn't anticipate were the stress fractures, discovered as he tried to get ready to play in the Memorial.

 

"The stress fractures that were discovered just prior to the tournament unfortunately prevented me from participating and had a huge impact on the timing for my return," Woods said. "I was determined though, to do everything and anything in my power to play in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, which is a course that is close to where I grew up and holds many special memories for me."

[juansky]

The only thing standing between Tiger and Nicklaus's 18 major wins will be Tigers injuries.

I hope he comes back strong next year with a million dollar knee.......shoot even with a peg leg he can still beat the rest.....lol! :clapping:

[hensatc]

Tiger or not, best player ever or not...

 

I for one am simply impressed that ANYONE could play elite level competitive golf with a rotationally unstable knee for the better part of a year

 

and given that he has... I can only assume the meniscus is somewhat chewed to sh*t which makes longevity a question mark.

 

For the moment, however, it will be interesting to see how he deals with the rehab then learning how to *feel right* again

[ghodges]

I will continue to watch golf because I love the game. I'm a Tiger fan, but I really appreciate the skill of all the players. Heck I love to watch Nationwide events and the LPGA.

 

Having said that, anyone that thinks golf (or any sport for that matter) is actually better when the top player(s) aren't competing is out there IMHO. Especially if that player is one of (if not the) best of all time. The other players have said on many occasions that he has "pushed" them to get better.

[DrSchteeve]

Some educated guesses...

 

An ACL tear, partial or complete, especially if it comes from chronic wear and tear rather than an acute injury, isn't always repaired. Sometimes the person can rehab the knee and strengthen other tissues that can then provide (some of) the support the ACL would have.

 

For atheletes, however, the likelihood of getting along without an ACL is lower than for non-atheletes, and the torque Tiger puts on the left knee probably made that likelihood even less.

 

The stress fractures may have come from the instability in the knee caused by the lack of ACL, compounded by the possibly less than normal cartilage support that Tiger may have. You don't have to run to get stress fractures in the knee.

 

For an ACL repair, 6-9 months is usually the minimum back to sports, 12-18 months to prior functional level. The stress fractures should heal in 4-6 months, probably healing before the ACL does. That would seem to make the Masters in 2009 the most likely return date.

 

As for the cause of all this, I don't remember which analysts I heard discussing Tiger's footwork, but they pointed out that compared to players with great footwork (Hogan and Nicklaus were the examples used) Tiger's is suspect. Specifically they noted that when Tiger makes a full through-swing, especially with his driver, his left heel actually raises up towards the end of the swing. This probably does two things, both bad for his left knee: 1) the raising of the heel at the same time he is squatting into the swing (which he notably does) would increase the compression forces on his left knee; 2) by having only the ball of his left foot on the ground at the end of his swing, there is less area to distribute the downward forces, which could lead to focusing those downward forces on certain parts of his left knee instead of the whole knee. If this has contributed to his left knee problems, it would seem logical that he (and Haney) would try to correct this footwork issue when he gets back to playing.

[Grosse Gurke]

Im not a Tiger hater...but I have also not jumped on the Tiger bandwagon. He is an amazing golfer...however he is not my favorite on tour. Im just shocked so many "golf fans" would simply not watch a tournament because Tiger is not playing. I think a break from Tigers dominance will be nice for a change....not that I would wish what happened to him on anyone. I like parody in sports...imo it makes for a more enjoyable experience.

[DemolitionMan]

Im not a Tiger hater...but I have also not jumped on the Tiger bandwagon. He is an amazing golfer...however he is not my favorite on tour. Im just shocked so many "golf fans" would simply not watch a tournament because Tiger is not playing. I think a break from Tigers dominance will be nice for a change....not that I would wish what happened to him on anyone. I like parody in sports...imo it makes for a more enjoyable experience.

 

I like some parody in sports too. Right now I am suffering through the SF Giants version of a parody of a professional baseball team :) :clapping: Parity on the other hand can be fun to see new faces, but many fans like to see a dynasty in sports - even golf. Take away the #1 dynasty in all of sports, and the vacuum gets a little unsettling for some.

 

There are a lot of fringe fans that came in with the TW effect and of course they will be first to leave when TW is gone. But they will be back. In losses, there are opportunities. Right now I want to see how the media makes the most of this opportunity. Will they drown us with more TW stories than ever, or take advantage of more creative ideas on other players?

[g0lf18]

Does this mean Tiger will be eligible to win his first 'Comeback Player Of The Year' Award next year?

 

 

He should get it this year for winning the US Open after knee surgery and again next year, kind of like Stricker the previous two years. :clapping:

[gregflat9]

Shame for Tiger and golf.

 

Any sport needs it's#1 in the field. He will be missed by the sponsors, viewers and everyone apart from Phil and Ernie. The sport needs him and here's to a speedy recovery.

 

Am I alone in thinking that he's losing his hair? Has Tiger called in the "receders"?

[ckguy914]

I'd imagine that people'll put asterisks next to the next couple major winners (whoever they may be) without Tiger in the field.

 

As much as I hope for his speedy recovery, I certainly hope that he enjoys this time off to do things that he never really got to do especially with his family and close friends.

[Tamaron]

He might have the same injury as Ernie, but come on, Tiger and Ernie aren't the same. Tiger will come back just fine. He probably knew going into the Open what the aftermath was going to be win or lose. He will be back at the Masters next year and probably win. Plus Tiger has more drive and will in his bad left knee then Ernie has in his whole body.

 

"It is not the same injury as Ernie, it is worse than Ernies. Ernie did not have stress and microfractures of the leg at surrounding area. Nobody argues mentally he is tougher than Ernie et.al. but you can not will an injury to be fine. Only time will tell how close he can come back to his standards. You can't seriously believe that Tiger knew what the aftermath of playing in the Open would be... He is stubborn not stupid.. "

 

 

Actually you are incorrect. Ernie's injury was more severe. Ernie suffered from more of a "contact", acute type injury that immediately and totally ruptured/tore his anterior crutiate ligament. I'm not sure but he may have caused damage to other ligaments as well. This type of injury typically causes the knee to swell and become sometimes quite painful. Tiger apparently injured himself running and I suspect did not completely tear his ACL ( had/has a partial tear). While still painful it likely allows you to have more stabiltiy remaining in your knee and gives you more to work with. Some of these cases can be rehabbed as opposed to surgery. http://www.yoursportsdoc.com/pages-subsections/si_aclp.html If Tiger had completely torn his ACL I suspect the world would have known very soon after. It would be very foolish to try and play on a completely torn ACL for nearly a year. Instablility of the knee causes premature arthritis, and arthritis is something you can never get rid of once you have it. I can't see Tiger or his doctors being foolish enough to do something that could permanently affect his longevity.

 

Also stress fractures while painful typically only require rest to heal. They are not a typical fracture and are not usually visible on a routine x-ray. While what Tiger has done with this injury is very, very impressive I have a feeling many are going to make it out to be even more than it really is. Hopefully next year Tiger will be back after proper rehab and time to his full function.

[skinkman]

Good news for all the also-rans on the Tour, but it will taint the victories at the Open and PGA for whoever wins them. Maybe Jim Furyk will pull out of his funk now and win something.

 

you beat the best there is..it isn't their fault that Tiger has a bum knee. I don't hear anything about Sergio's win at the Players being done without Tiger in the field. He is now the Players Champ..I think the pros would worry about winning the next two majors rather than care if Tiger was in it or not. This is their job..the media on the other hand.. infact, they will see it as an opportunity.

[ab7735]

I think Tiger knew all the risks involved in playing the open. Even with the now-revealed stress fracture, I think he knew either way this was his last tournament of the year regardless of the outcome. If his goal is still to pass Jack why would he risk that on one tournament.

[WRXJIM]

How funny would it be if a vast selection of players win the next handful of events and the top ten scatter through the feild so that Tiger still has the most "overall" Fedex Cup POints. Ha ha

 

It would mean some more performances like Phil last week and such, but still a funny thing to think about.

 

I will still watch golf on TV, but certainly not with the same "undivided attention" that it has when Tiger is in the field.

 

It will suck without him!!!

 

Time for these boys to shine in his "SHORT" absence : Cink, Kim, CASEY, CHOI, Campbell, Leonard, Duval, Immelman, Katayama :clapping: Daly!! :)

[skinkman]

i think he wants to pass Jack but he is not consumed with it..he doesn't cry when he loses in majors..just tries to plod along next time.

I suspect they did not know the full extent of his injuries..only that he was in pain.

[SoftFade_Ga]

I will just say it makes his win one of the most heroic in all of sports.

 

He even had the class to not get into his injury in much detail so as not to over shadow the USGA and the Open.

 

 

We are going to miss is play for a while.

 

I am also interested to see who will step up in his absence. Here someone's chance at some wins and a major.

[xan_user]

Sad news.

 

Wish him the best and a speedy return.

 

I hope he can come out of this lay-off a little more mellow next time.

 

It was hard for me to watch him play in pain.

 

I wonder if his Doctors could even bear to watch the match?

[SamBruin7]

One positive to come from this is that it's disspelled any thought that Tiger is a "Wuss" as someone posted in another forum. I had my questions watching him play at the US Open and thought maybe he is just faking it or he can't handle a little bit of pain. But now we know that it was much more serious than originally thought. I have more respect him now and that just shows how great a player he is to win a Major with a torn up knee.