WEST PALM beach, Fla. (CBS12) — while there are numerous juicy plotlines for golf fanatics to sink their teeth into heading into this week’s U.S. Open, particularly with both PGA excursion gamers and LIV golfers playing together in a first-rate tournament for the first time. That stated, golf fans might not pass over the Tiger Woods plotline as a lot as they may have, not able to play on his reconstructed leg.
“A typical 18 hole course is about five miles of walking, ” explains Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Alan Saperstein. “That’s a significant stress to a recently reconstructed foot and ankle.”
Saperstein describes a big reason why the Jupiter Island resident is being forced to sit out the U.S. Open, after being forced to pull out of the PGA Championship after three rounds. Tiger originally returned to play at the Masters, one year after almost losing his leg in a car accident. The injuries to his leg may be difficult to overcome as he prepares for the upcoming Open Championship, and things could get even more difficult for Tiger moving forward.
“He had foot and ankle fractures that required pins and screws to be placed. I think that’s really the concern,” says Saperstein. “if it’s a talus fracture, that’s a pretty serious fracture. It has significant potential to produce what we call post traumatic arthritis. The question is can he get that pain under control to the point where he can focus on his game, and be as good as he was. My gut feeling is, not impossible, with additional therapy, possible some injections, (and be himself), but you know, it’s tough. ”
Woods says he’ll be ready to play next month in Ireland at the JP Pro-Am, and then the Open Championship.
