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Woods is ready to play, though not at the level he once did.

In February of this year, PGA star and world-renowned golfer Tiger Woods was in severe car crash in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Woods survived the crash, but his right leg was irreversibly damaged in the process. Woods is still in the process of recovery, though he is eager to start playing golf again. But when it comes to playing at the level he once did, his injury makes the prospect untenable.

“I have so far to go,” Woods said in an interview with Golf Digest. “I’m not even at the halfway point. I have so much more muscle development and nerve development that I have to do in my leg. At the same time, as you know, I’ve had five back operations. So I’m having to deal with that. So as the leg gets stronger, sometimes the back may act up.”

“I don’t have to compete and play against the best players in the world to have a great life. After my back fusion, I had to climb Mt. Everest one more time. I had to do it, and I did. This time around, I don’t think I’ll have the body to climb Mt. Everest, and that’s OK. I can still participate in the game of golf. I can still, if my leg gets OK, I can still click off a tournament here or there.

Tiger Woods is eyeing a return to the TOUR.

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 29, 2021

“But as far as climbing the mountain again and getting all the way to the top, I don’t think that’s a realistic expectation of me.”

For his myriad accomplishments in the world of golf, Woods is set to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame next year. Once he’s fully recovered, he may start playing on a limited, leisurely schedule as his injury allows.