Tiger Woods said running more than 30 miles a week early on in his golf career “destroyed” his body.
Woods, 44, made the comment during an interview with Golf TV. Fans asked the 15-time major championship winner questions about his career and about what advice he would give his younger self.
“Not to run so much,” Woods said. “Running over 30 miles a week for probably my first five or six years on the PGA Tour pretty much destroyed my body and my knees.”
Woods detailed his routine at a news conference in 2018 at the Genesis Open. That regimen included 45 miles of running if he worked out Monday through Friday and 56 miles if he worked out every day.
“I used to get up in the morning and run four miles,” Woods said. “Then I’d go to the gym and do my lift. Then I’d hit balls for about two to three hours. I would go play, come back, work on my short game. Then I’d go run another four miles.”
He also said he would play basketball or tennis after his second run. Woods said he no longer does any of that workout.
The star golfer was at his most prolific in the early 2000s. He won seven of 11 majors contested between the 1999 PGA Championship and 2002 U.S. Open. Woods also won 32 PGA Tour events from 1999 through 2003. He won 12 of his 15 majors between 2000 and 2008. Prior to his 2019 Masters Tournament title, Woods hadn’t won a major since 2008, his longest drought between championships.
Numerous injuries derailed Woods on his quest to catch Jack Nicklaus’ major championship record of 18. Woods had at least four knee surgeries before he took a break from the PGA Tour in 2008. He returned to win the 2008 U.S. Open before he had another knee surgery and missed the rest of the season.
He took an indefinite leave from professional golf in December of 2009 before he returned to finish fourth at the 2010 Masters. Woods picked up several minor injuries before he started to have issues with his back and had several surgeries to address those ailments. He had another knee surgery after he won the Masters on April 14, 2019.
Fans also asked Woods if he would play on the Champions Tour when he is eligible, after his time is over on the PGA Tour. Golfers must be at least 50 years old to compete on the Champions Tour.
“If I can get a golf cart,” Woods said.
