Tiger Woods says he has ‘no timetable’ for return

Woods said Tuesday at the Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Club in the Bahamas that there is no timetable for getting back to golf. He has yet to hit any balls since he underwent two surgeries in the fall to alleviate pain in his balky back.

“Therein lies the tough question and tough answer,” Woods said. “I don’t have an answer for that. … There is no timetable. That’s the hardest part for me. There’s nothing I can look forward to.”

Woods was appearing at the tournament, which benefits his foundation and includes 18 of the top players in the world. He was once on top of the world rankings for a record 623 weeks but has fallen to 400th after struggling with his health and his game the past few years.

In September, Woods had microdiscectomy surgery to remove a fragment that was causing a pinched nerve. Then in October he had another surgery to aid discomfort. The latest procedures came after the underwent the same surgery in March 2014.

Because of the back issues, the 39-year-old Woods played in only 11 events in 2015 after he managed to start only seven tournaments the previous year.

“It’s different than the other surgeries,” Woods said. “For nerves, there is no timetable.”