Nicklaus: Tiger Woods in ‘good health’ during Ryder Cup dinner
Tiger Woods supplied the golf world last week with some video evidence to suggest he has “progressed nicely” from a pair of back surgeries in fall of 2015.
Jack Nicklaus, the man whose majors record Woods is ultimately still chasing, saw the 14-time major winner up close and in person last week, and he reports Woods is looking pretty good these days.
Nicklaus, along with wife Barbara, hosted U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III, his assistant captains, including Woods, and a number of prospective Ryder Cup players (though the reason to not invite Justin Thomas is baffling) to a team-building dinner Thursday night of The Honda Classic.
“He looked very healthy and he really misses playing. So that’s good,” said Nicklaus on Sunday.
“He says he was feeling great, and he was able to stand over a putt and chip now without having any leg pain and so forth.”
The dinner, at the Nicklaus’ home, consisted of steak, shrimp and lobster, among other things. While the two legends were able to have a conversation, as well address the group, Nicklaus said he wasn’t given any kind of timeline for when we’ll see Woods compete again.
However, Nicklaus did tell Woods, as he has said publicly in the past, that he wants the 40-year-old to have a fair shot at his 18-major mark.
“I’ve told Tiger many times, and I told him again the other night, I said, ‘You know, Tiger, nobody wants their records to be broken. But I don’t want you to not have the ability to have that opportunity to do so by your health,’” Nicklaus said. “‘So I wish you well, and I hope you get healthy, hope you get to play, hope you get out there as soon as you feel like you can play, and I hope you do well.’”
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
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