Tiger Woods said Monday that it’s still “too soon” to know about his status for the Masters.
Woods said that he has been receiving treatment for his back injury and that the rehabilitation process has been “frustrating.”
“For Augusta, it’s actually still a little too soon (to know), to be honest with you,” he said. “That’s kind of the frustrating thing about this.
“I had a couple weeks off and getting treatment and trying to get ready for Augusta. As of right now, it’s still too soon, which is, as I said, pretty frustrating.”
After the event, Woods told the Washington Post that he’s only been able to chip and putt at home.
“I haven’t done that much,” he said, according to the report. “Just listening to my doctors, listening to my therapists.”
Last week, Golfweek magazine, citing a source familiar with Woods’ condition, said that the world No. 1 was dealing with a bulging disk, though his agent, Mark Steinberg, did not confirm that diagnosis to GolfChannel.com.
Woods is off to the worst start of his career. After re-aggravating his back injury during a final-round 78 at Doral, he withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational, an event he has won eight times.
Woods has never missed the Masters as a pro, and he told the Post that could still contend at Augusta even without his normal preparation.
He cited the 2008 U.S. Open as an example. After undergoing knee surgery following the Masters, he played nine holes for the first time on the Sunday before the Open, then limped his way to victory.
“So I’ve done it before,” he said, according to the Post. “Hopefully, that’ll be the case again this year.”