Should Tiger be concerned long-term?
by REX HOGGARD, Golfweek.com
Golfweek.com
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Woods, of course, will be fine. Says so on his Web site. And any scalpel jockey who has ever tidied up a frayed menisci or flushed out random "knee debris," concurs. Arthroscopic surgery is the Bob Hope Classic of the medical world — light and airy with little concern for bogeys.
"It was a clean-up procedure and with any surgery like this the biggest concern is you don't want the patient to lose range of motion," said Florida-based arthroscopic surgeon Dr. Johnny Benjamin. "But with Tiger Woods, considering how good of shape he is in, all bets are off."
Besides, Woods has been down this arthroscopic path before. After a similar procedure in 2002, he rattled off three victories in his first four events back, including an 11-shot romp at Bay Hill.
Woods' rehab, which began within hours of leaving Dr. Rosenberg's table, will keep him from playing the Wachovia Championship, where he is the defending champion, and most likely The Players.
He'd likely be healthy enough to return in time for the Memorial before heading to the U.S. Open, which begins June 12 at Torrey Pines.
"No one knows for sure but Tiger is confident that he will be ready and fully prepared for the U.S. Open," said Woods' swing coach Hank Haney.
Truth is, the immediate impact of Woods' most recent surgical tune-up will be limited to dwindling Nielsen ratings for The Players and Wachovia and increased face time with dad for Sam Alexis.
The possible long-term effect a second procedure in 5 1/2 years could have on the big engine that drives the PGA Tour wheel is a bit more worrisome.
"The biggest concern is will he develop early arthritis? When you have an injury around a joint it always increases the risk of post-traumatic arthritis," Benjamin said.
More than the enormous amount of torque Woods places on his left knee throughout his golf swing, Benjamin is concerned with the time between swings. During an average round a professional walks about 4 miles. Add a practice round to the mix, and a player's weekly take jumps to more than 20 miles.
Aggravating the constant pounding his knees endure is Woods' renowned workout regimen, which includes extensive "road work." In an interview with Men's Fitness magazine last year, Woods said his program includes regular three-mile "speed runs" as well as "endurance runs" of up to seven miles.
"I just enjoy running; it's fun to me," Woods told the magazine. "Some people hate it. But I get a nice sense of calm in running. I just find it peaceful."
Benjamin said Woods' running didn't cause his knee problems, but the constant pounding isn't helping the process.
"I would caution anyone, including Tiger Woods, about running. Especially on hard surfaces," Benjamin said. "Why pound your knee like that? I would try to get him out of running altogether and into some other form of cardio."
Considering Woods' commitment to fitness, it may be easier to convince him to try a belly putter.
"I look at Tiger as a quarterback. How many years does a quarterback have?" said one longtime Tour trainer. "You start getting into multiple surgeries, that's when you become concerned."
For Woods, running is part outlet, part psychological advantage he can pull from late on Sunday afternoon when his competitors' tanks are inching toward "E."
At last year's PGA Championship when the Tulsa, Okla., heat index hovered above 100 degrees, it was Woods' conditioning, more so than his swing, that netted him Grand Slam No. 13.
"When I walked up 18 I felt the same way as I did going off the first tee," Woods said following his victory at Southern Hills. "All the miles I log on the road and run in that heat ... that's what you do. You pay the price. You go outwork everybody and days like today or weeks like this week, it shows. I felt fresh all week."
For the long-term health of the world No. 1, if not the game, maybe swimming or a StairMaster would be a safer release. But that doesn't seem likely. Nor does it seem likely that golf's most important left knee could impact the outcome of the season's second major.
"Will he come back? Absolutely. I'm betting on him at Torrey Pines," Benjamin said.
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