Woods has ‘zero mobility’ with his ankle

Tiger Woods has been dealing with health issues for quite some time now.
While that’s hardly breaking news, Notah Begay III likely raised a few eyebrows when discussing the health of the 15-time major champion during a conference call on Wednesday, per USA Today.
“He’s trying to formulate a strategy and approach that he can work within given the constraints that he’s presented with. And he’s got some constraints,” said Begay, a longtime friend and commentator for NBC Sports.
“He’s got zero mobility in that left ankle and really has low-back challenges now, which he knew he was going to have.”
Woods withdrew from his own tournament, the Genesis Invitational in February, due to what he said was the flu – although many questioned if it was a back issue.
The 48-year-old has been nursing several injuries – including a severe injury to his right leg – since he was involved in a car accident in February 2021.
“For the past couple months, he’s been trying to find a way to recover,” Begay said.
“He can play the golf. We always knew the question was going to be, ‘Can he walk the 72 (holes)?’ That’s still up in the air. But can he recover, from one round to the next? That’s the biggest question that I really don’t know and he’s not going to know either until he gets out there and figures out whether the way he’s prepared for this year’s Masters is going to work for him.”
Multiple media outlets reported that Woods played a round of golf last weekend at Augusta National Golf Club in preparation for the Masters Tournament, which begins next Thursday. Woods, who has officially entered to go after his sixth Masters title, played Saturday’s round with his good friend Justin Thomas and ANGC chairman Fred Ridley in Augusta, Georgia.
Since his last Masters victory in 2019, Woods finished tied for 38th in the 2020 event, did not participate in 2021, finished 47th in 2022 and withdrew last year because of plantar fasciitis after making the 36-hole cut.
Meanwhile Rory McIlroy said a lesson with veteran instructor Butch Harmon was a “really worthwhile trip” as he prepares for next week’s Masters and another chance to complete a career grand slam.
The 34-year-old from Northern Ireland spoke about his visit to see the former coach of Woods on the eve of the opening round of his final Masters tuneup, the Texas Open at TPC San Antonio.
“It was a really worthwhile trip and I feel like I’ve done some good work after that,” McIlroy said. “This is a good week to see where that work has gotten me.”
Four-time major winner McIlroy has not won a major crown since the 2014 PGA Championship, but capturing a green jacket next week at Augusta National would put him in select company.
Only Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen have won each major at least once in their careers.
World number two McIlroy, a top-10 finisher in seven of the past 10 Masters, was runner-up to Scottie Scheffler in 2022.
McIlroy, who won the Dubai Desert Classic in January, was unsatisfied after two 21st-place showings and a 19th-place at The Players Championship during three Florida stops, so he went to Las Vegas to visit Harmon.
He said: “After The Players and just sort of struggling through that Florida Swing with my swing and with some of the misses I was having with my irons, I just thought to myself, ‘I’m obviously missing something here and I just would love to go and get a second opinion and have him take a look, a second set of eyes.’
“The one thing with Butch is you go spend time with him and you’re always going to feel better about yourself at the end of it whether you’re hitting it better or not. He’s sort of half golf coach, half psychologist in a way.”