By William Bowman
The Daily Item
The fact that Tiger Woods, with 14 majors in hand yet still four shy of reaching Jack Nicklaus' record 18, is having chronic knee problems at his age raises some considerable red flags, a Geisinger orthopedic surgeon said Friday.
Dr. Matthew McElroy said Friday that Woods, who withdrew from The Players Championship a day earlier, will likely never be completely healthy again. That doesn't mean he won't win more events, however.
"Once you've had an injury like an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), you're never going to be able to recreate a normal knee," he said. "You are always going to have some kind of compromised knee."
Woods was six-over through nine holes Thursday when he pulled out of The Players Championship in his first action in more than a month. It was the second consecutive year he pulled out of the event.
The 35-year-old Woods said injuries to his left knee and Achilles' tendon, which he injured during the third round of the Masters last month, forced him to withdraw.
Woods rested leading up to The Players. In the third round of the Masters, Woods said he hurt his knee and Achilles' after hitting from the pine straw. He did not play in a tournament after that and did not practice again until Monday. He played nine holes on Tuesday and Wednesday at Sawgrass before pulling out after the front nine Thursday.
Because Woods rested and rehabbed before returning to the course and still came up lame, Dr. McElroy believes Woods will likely be dealing with chronic arthritis the rest of his life.
"The fact that he's had at least three surgeries leads me to believe he's got some arthritis and it's going to be an ongoing issue for him," he said.
After famously winning the U.S. Open while hobbled in 2008, Woods had his third reconstructive knee surgery, all on his left knee. Now the knee issues are compounded with the Achilles' trouble. And while Dr. McElroy said the two injuries are likely not related, he said Woods' violent swing is likely compounding both.
Woods generates nearly 125 miles per hour of clubhead speed when he hits the ball -- most recreational golfers are closer to 85 mph -- and the speed creates massive amounts of torque on his body. ESPN did a study this week saying that Woods' club accelerates three-times faster than an NHRA dragster.
"For a guy like Tiger Woods, compared to the average (golfer) like me, I'm sure it's tough," Dr. McElroy said. "The knee is the most worrisome because of all that pivot and having the torque he gets when he swings. But he's 35 and has had three knee surgeries. There are no more 'good surgeries' for him."
