Rory McIlroy, Jason Day are among golfers standing behind Tiger Woods
CROMWELL, Conn. — Tiger Woods has not played in a tour event since January, but his footprint on the PGA Tour can be found each week.
Just walk into a workout room at any event and you will see players shaping their bodies to withstand the grind of the game, which is something Woods brought to the sport during his dominant run.
However, when Woods will be able to return to the game remains on hold.
On Monday, the 41-year-old golfer tweeted he was “receiving professional help” to deal with his troubles with medications, along with back pain and a sleep disorder.
Woods, who was already sidelined from golf with back problems, was charged with driving under the influence after police found him asleep in his car around 2 a.m. on May 29 in Jupiter, Fla.
He told officers he had suffered from a reaction to several prescription drugs, including Vicodin and Xanax.
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“It’s a tough one,” said Rory McIlroy, after his pro-am round Wednesday at the Travelers Championship. “I reached out to him whenever everything broke a few weeks ago just making sure he’s OK.
“I feel like I have built a good relationship with Tiger over the last few years. He’s been through a rough time the last few years with injuries and not being able to sleep,” McIlroy continued.
“I totally understand how that can happen, so it’s good that he’s getting help. It’s good that he’s on the road to recover I guess, and I guess everyone in golf and around the world just wishes him the best.”
Several other prominent golfers in the field at TPC River Highlands this week offered similar support for Woods.
“I think we all want him to do what’s best for him,” Jordan Spieth said.
“I just want his mind and his health to be where it should be,” Jason Day added. “I’m hoping he has a lot of good solid people around him that will look after him.”
Day heard from Woods as recently as last week after the former shot a 79 in the opening round of the U.S. Open.
“I text him every now and then,” Day said. “He texted me after I shot 79 and said, ‘Hey before you work on something call me because I saw something.
“I was like ‘Yeah, you saw 79 shots,’ so I didn’t call him because I was so angry.”
Jim Furyk has played for years with Woods both in individual events and in the Ryder Cup among other things. Furyk, who will captain the 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup team, says Woods has bigger things than golf to worry about right now.
“I think my first and foremost I want Tiger to be happy, I want him to be healthy,” Furyk said. “Golf is, as we get older in this game, golf is so far down the list on what’s important in life. You want your health first. You want to be a happy person. He’s got two beautiful kids and I wish him the best.”
Whether or not Woods ever returns to the sport as a competitor, Furyk says he has cemented his place in history.
“If he has an opportunity to come back in the future and play the game, great,” Furyk said. “If not, he accomplished pretty much more than anyone in the history of the game did anyway.”
