Golf: Tiger Woods accepts he'll never be back fulltime on PGA Tour after crash

Tiger Woods reacts after winning his 15th major title in 2019. Photo / Getty

Golf legend Tiger Woods has conceded he won't ever be back to playing regularly on the PGA Tour following his car crash in February and has revealed he almost lost his right leg following the incident.

Earlier this month, the 15-time major champion posted a video on social media swinging a golf club for the first time since his crash with the comment 'Making progress'.

But in an interview with Golf Digest, the 45-year-old had admitted after suffering fractures to both the tibia and the fibula in his right leg in the February crash, he will have to pick and choose events if he ever plays again.

"I think something that is realistic is playing the tour one day—never full time, ever again—but pick and choose, just like Mr. [Ben] Hogan did. Pick and choose a few events a year and you play around that," Woods said during an interview with Golf Digest.

"You practice around that, and you gear yourself up for that. I think that's how I'm going to have to play it from now on. It's an unfortunate reality, but it's my reality. And I understand it, and I accept it."

Tiger Woods reacts after winning his 15th major title in 2019. Photo / Getty

Woods completed a remarkable recovery following four back surgeries to claim his 15th major at the 2019 US Masters, nearly 11 years since he won his last major. But he says he faces an even bigger challenge now.

"I don't have to compete and play against the best players in the world to have a great life. After my back fusion, I had to climb Mt. Everest one more time. I had to do it, and I did. This time around, I don't think I'll have the body to climb Mt. Everest, and that's OK. I can still participate in the game of golf. I can still, if my leg gets OK, I can still click off a tournament here or there. But as far as climbing the mountain again and getting all the way to the top, I don't think that's a realistic expectation of me."

Woods told Golf Digest there was a point he thought he could lose his leg after the crash.

"There was a point in time when, I wouldn't say it was 50/50, but it was damn near there if I was going to walk out of that hospital with one leg."

"I have so far to go … I'm not even at the halfway point," he said. "I have so much more muscle development and nerve development that I have to do in my leg. At the same time, as you know, I've had five back operations. So I'm having to deal with that. So as the leg gets stronger, sometimes the back may act up. … It's a tough road," Woods added.