Tiger Woods isn't teeing it up this week after undergoing his sixth back surgery in September but is on hosting duties at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, where he said he still has a "long way to go" to get back competing against the world's best players.
Woods addressed the media alongside Hero MotoCorp Executive Chairman Dr. Pawan Munjal in a 30-minute press conference where he discussed his health and plans for a return, the PGA Tour/PIF dealings, recent PGA Tour changes, the topic of Ryder Cup pay and more.
Here are the key points from Woods' first press conference in four-and-a-half months...
'NOT TOURNAMENT SHARP'
Woods appears to be back in the gym and improving in health but not enough to work on his game enough due to the rehab.
He admitted he isn't "tournament sharp" to play against the world's best players and said he had "a long way to go".
"Still not there. These are 20 of the best players in the world and I'm not sharp enough to compete against them. So when I'm ready to compete and play at this level, then I will.," he said.
"I am disappointed. I'm not physically ready yet to compete at this level. I still need to keep training to give myself the best chance into next year and the events ahead."
It was this event last year when he said he hopes to play once per month in 2024 but this time around he couldn't give a prediction, saying he "truly" doesn't know.
RYDER CUP PAY
Woods made it clear that the players should receive as much money as possible but only to give to charity and help grow the game and their local communities.
"we had the same conversation back in '99 and it was we didn't want to get paid, we wanted to give more money to charity, and the media turned it around against us and said we want to get paid," he said.
"What's wrong with being able to allocate more funds? I hope they get $5m each and donate it all to charity.
"The event is so big that I think we can give so much money to different charities and I've said that since 99 when we had the Brookline negotiations.
"If the Europeans want to pay to be in the Ryder Cup, that's their decision to do that, that's their team.
"I know when it's on European soil that it subsidizes most of their Tour, so it is a big event for the European Tour and if they want to pay to play in it, so be it."
Woods seemed healthy and in good spirits in his 30-minute press conference, where he was unable to give a timeline for a return to full PGA Tour action
PGA Tour-PIF TALKS
Woods said he thought a deal would happen quicker but stressed that even if they had got a deal it would still be in the DOJ's hands.
He also daid talks are "fluid", "constructive" and "happening daily", and that in the end we'll get "peace the game desperately needs."
"This is an active negotiation and things are happening daily, weekly and it's evolving. We all want to get past this and do what's best for the tour and trying to do that some eggs are going to be knocked over and it's going to be a little bit difficult some times.
"I think something will get done. In what form or shape I don't know yet."
ON PRE-SURGERY PAIN
Woods opened up on the pain he felt during the season, saying he didn't expect his back to go in 2024 after a successful ankle fusion surgery last year and setting a goal of one event per month.
"I didn't think my back was going to go like it did this year. It was quite painful throughout the end of the year and hence I had another procedure done to it to alleviate the pain I had going down my leg," he said.
"As the year went on, it just kept progressively getting worse to the point where it just wasn't getting better either from treatments or laying around resting or even activations. Nothing felt good and the MRI showed that.
"The relief I had, I didn't have a spasm, I didn't have the nerve pain, so that was fantastic, but also understood that I still have a long road ahead of me of rehab and recovery.
"I wish I hadn't known this, but I know it very well and I know the process, I know how long it's going to take. We'll continue doing all the gym work and continue doing all the protocols and eventually it will lead to something where I can compete again."
PGA TOUR CHANGES WERE 'UNANIMOUS'
Woods said the recently announced PGA Tour changes for 2026, which include 100 cards instead of 125, fewer Korn Ferry Tour graduates and other streamlining measures, were easily voted through.
"I'll say the majority of the Tour felt the same way. The PAC was involved, the subcommittees on the PAC were involved and it was unanimous across the board what we need to do to present a better product and something better for our fans, for our events, our sponsors," he said.
"Redefining what a Tour pro is, streamlining that. Yes, playing opportunities have been reduced at certain parts, but also then again we also have player equity in this as well -- involved as well, which has never happened before. So the players who are playing, they're going to get well compensated going forward, which that was never the case."
'THAT'S PART OF AGE' - ADMITS BODY WON'T RECOVER LIKE IT USED TO
"The fire still burns to compete. The difference is the recovery of the body to do it is not what it used to be. I still love doing it, I love competing, I love competing in anything whether we're playing cards or we're playing golf. No matter what it is, I love competing. That's never going to leave," he said.
"But as far as the recovery process of going out there and doing it again and again and again and doing it consistently at a high level, I can't, for some reason the body just won't recover like it used to. That's part of age and part of an athlete's journey."