Nassau: Tiger Woods refused to give any timeline about a possible comeback to professional golf as the 15-time Major champion decided to sit out for this week’s Hero World Challenge, a limited-field PGA Tour event that is hosted by him and his foundation.

Woods, who turns 49 on Dec 30, had announced he went through a sixth back procedure in September, this time a micro decompression surgery of the lumbar spine for nerve impingement in the lower back and will not be a part of the 20-man event in Albany this week.

Woods answered queries on his health, and also on the state of negotiations between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which is expected to heal the game following the recent friction with the PIF-backed LIV Golf.

“I’m not a part of the field, but being host this week is going to be a lot of fun,” Woods said at a press conference on Tuesday. “I’m not tournament-sharp yet. I’m still not there. These are 20 of the best players in the world and I’m not sharp enough to compete against them at this level. So, when I’m ready to compete and play at this level, then I will.

“Hopefully, next year will be better. I’ll be physically stronger and better. I know the procedure helped and hopefully, I can then build upon that.

“The pain that was going down my leg and the spasms were tough through the end of the year, so that’s been alleviated. I still don’t quite walk right, but that’s kind of an issue with my ankle. Trust me, I’m a very active person, I like to get out there and do things and sitting on the sideline is one of the harder things for me to do.”

On the possible deal with PIF, which was announced in June last year with the first deadline set for end of last year, Woods said the talks are still progressing.

“I think all of us who have been a part of this process would have thought it would have happened quicker than this,” said Woods, who heads the PGA Tour Policy Board for the negotiations.

“Even if we had gotten a deal done by now, it’s still in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) hands. But we wish we would have had something more concrete and further along than we are right now. Things are very fluid, and we’re still working through it and it’s happening daily. From a policy board standpoint, things are moving and they’re constructive.”

The $5 million tournament features some of the top-ranked players in the world, including world No1 Scottie Scheffler. However, from an Indian fan standpoint, it will feature three of the top Indian-origin players for the first time – world No. 12 Sahith Theegala, world No. 21 Aaron Rai and world No. 31 Akshay Bhatia.

At the press conference, Pawan Munjal, Executive Chairman of Hero MotoCorp, announced a new five-year-extension of its title sponsorship until 2030. Woods was also named Hero’s global corporate partner for that period.

The new partnership is likely to feature Woods in a tournament in India. However, given Woods’ physical condition, nothing specific has been inked as yet.

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