As previously reported, Tiger Woods withdrew his participation in the last round from the Players Championship event on Sunday due to having pain in his neck.  He had been coping with the pain for a while before the Players Championship but was unable to cope any longer.  He originally believed that the pain that he was having in his neck was from a bulging disk.

Woods had a MRI scheduled, which thankfully showed that he had inflammation in a facet joint in his neck.  This is what was causing him such pain.  As for recovery, Woods will have to participate in physical therapy on a regular basis.  In addition to the physical therapy sessions, Woods will be prescribed to take anti-inflammatory medication to help with the swelling around the joint and the surrounding area and he will need plenty of rest.

According to his website as well as various other media reports, it doesn’t seem like his absence from golf will be for very long; however, it will be once he had made a complete and thorough recovery.

Since it was not a bulging disk causing the pain, Woods should consider himself lucky as he bypassed a serious injury.  And although he won’t be back on the green anytime very soon, he may still be able to play in the U.S. Open that will begin on June 17 and run through the 20.  He is actually hoping to make the June 3 Memorial tournament to defend his title from last year.  We’ll just have to wait and see how his physical therapy sessions go before we know for sure whether or not he’ll be able to participate in either event.

Woods has had it pretty rough the past several months with the problems occurring at Thanksgiving last year, bad playing performances, as well as losing his six-year swing coach, Hank Haney, on Monday.

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