Tiger Woods is not playing in the 2024 Hero World Challenge due to a variety of nagging injuries. On Tuesday, while holding court as host for his annual tournament in the Bahamas, the 15-time major champion expressed uncertainty about his return to the golf course following a sixth back surgery this September.

Tiger Woods said that he’s “got a long way to go” before he can make a return to professional golf, but insists the “fire still burns to compete.”

Throughout his career Tiger Woods has been reticent about his numerous injuries and physical challenges, so it comes as no great surprise that the 15-time major winner never let on that his chronically troubled back grew increasingly dysfunctional as he attempted to compete in a handful of events in 2024.