Tiger Woods knocked down those reports from a few days ago that he had suffered a setback in his recovery from back surgery when he released a video that showed him hitting a full shot in a golf simulator.
Mark Steinberg, Woods’ agent at Excel Sports Management, said his client was hitting a 9-iron in the 13-second video.
“Progressing nicely,” Woods wrote in the post, in which he is wearing golf shoes and shorts.
The earlier reports claimed Woods, who has had three procedures on his back since 2014, was having trouble standing for any length of time and even sitting up, being driven in a car with his seat in full recline.
“With everything that went on this weekend with Twitter exploding and the ridiculous and erroneous discussions–I don’t even want to call it reporting–we were inundated with fans saying: ‘Wow. How can this be true?'” Steinberg told the Associated Press on Wednesday, “Clearly, it wasn’t true.”
“If I picked up the phone and called you and said he’s doing some chipping and putting and making some swings up to a 9-iron–and that’s what the club was–is that impactful or a visual evidence of that?” he said. “We felt that was a more appropriate way to go.”
Tim Rosaforte, who said he had spoken with Woods confidantes Notah Begay III and Davis Love III, captain of the United States Ryder Cup team, also refuted those claims on the Golf Channel.
Woods has been selected as an assistant by Love, but hopes to return to the PGA Tour and earn a spot on the ream.
In addition, fellow PGA Tour pro Tony Finau posed for a picture with Woods at Tiger’s restaurant in Jupiter, Fla., that was taken on Tuesday night during a Team Nike dinner and posted it on Twitter. Both players are sponsored by Nike.
Rosaforte also reported that Woods has been chipping and putting, but that there still is no timetable for his return to the PGA Tour.
The 40-year-old Woods has said that for once he is listening to his doctors and will not rush his comeback, although he added that he expects not only to return sometime this year, but expects to win tournament–including majors–when he does.
