Tiger Woods reveals ‘dire’ injury struggle

• Tiger Woods reveals full extent of his injury struggles

• “The pain issues that I had, it was rough,” he said

• Woods has moved up 248 places to world No.650

Tiger Woods has revealed the full extent of his struggle to get back to playing golf after completing his first tournament in almost 16 months.

The 40-year-old, who a year ago gave a worrying indication as to his long-term future in the game – conceding that anything he achieved in the game from then on would be ‘gravy’ – returned at the Hero World Challenge with flashes of brilliance and also some rustiness.

“There were some pretty dire times where I just couldn’t move” – Tiger Woods

Woods finished 15th out of the 17 players who completed 72 holes with rounds of 72, 65, 70 and 76 and, although it wasn’t quite the triumphant return, he explained his pride at getting back out on the course considering there was a point after his back operations where he could barely walk or even get out of bed.

Read more -> WATCH: 5 best shots of Woods’ comeback round

“Getting back to this point is beyond anything that I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime,” Woods told Golf Channel.

“The pain issues that I had, it was rough. Quite frankly there were some pretty dire times where I just couldn’t move.”

With its limited field and the fact that it isn’t a full PGA Tour money event, the Hero World Challenge was the ideal place for Woods to make his comeback after withdrawing from October’s Safeway Open just three days before the tournament.

Now, he says he’ll use his performance in Albany as the perfect stepping stone as he looks to play a full schedule going into 2017.

“I haven’t played; I need to play more tournaments,” added Woods. “Zero in 15 months is not a lot. So this is one.”

“I thought I made some good, positive things happen this week. Made a lot of birdies, also made a lot of mistakes. Those, most of those mistakes I can clean up. I know they’re silly mistakes.”

“I thought I made some good, positive things happen this week” – Tiger Woods

“It feels good to be back out here playing again, competing and trying to beat the best players in the world. I missed it. I love it.”

Woods, who made the most birdies at the tournament, has moved up 248 places in the world rankings to No.650.

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