Goosen hopes injections will end constant pain

• By Jason Sobel
• Mar 20, 2012 8:15 PM ET

ORLANDO, Fla. – In his final round before a procedure to heal his ailing back, Retief Goosen posted a 5-under 67 at the Tavistock Cup on Tuesday – but still maintained the medical fix is a necessary one.

Goosen will undergo Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections in Virginia Beach, Va. on Wednesday, which is very much the same procedure undergone by fellow major champions Fred Couples and Vijay Singh.

The goal is that he will only miss two weeks of competition, but Goosen contends that having this done is about more than just golf.

“I hope that when I wake up in the morning, I won’t be in pain, and when I go to sleep, I won’t be in pain,” he explained. “Some guys have instant recovery within a few days, and other guys probably have to go back two or three times, so it’s a wait-and-see procedure.”

Even with the impending procedure scheduled, Goosen played his way into the final pairing at the recent Transitions Championship, only to finish in a share of 20th place.

“Unfortunately, my game is good right now,” he said. “There are just certain shots I can’t hit because I can’t flex enough. So it’s disappointing because I’m feeling very good about my game. My short game is good, my putting is good. So yeah, it’s a pity.”