Nearly every newspaper has an item in the sports section of an athlete who was injured playing the game. Normally the injury occurred in a contact sport - football, basketball, baseball, soccer, etc.
    Conversely, golf is probably considered the least dangerous if you don’t get hit by a club thrown by a disgruntled playing partner. In light of these considerations, the premiere golfer in the world displayed an amazing degree of stamina in a tournament two weeks ago.
    Tiger Woods won one of the most prestigious tournaments of the year while playing with a torn ligament and a tibia stress fracture in his left leg. He disclosed the injuries only after winning the 91 hole marathon. Tiger and Rocco Mediate were tied after tied after the regulation 72 holes. They completed an 18 hole playoff and were still tied. Tiger won on the first hole of sudden death. Only after that did he reveal the extent of his injury.
    It was generally known that his knee was giving him problems since he had arthroscopic surgery in April. At the start of the tournament he had a noticable limp which became progressively worse as the week wore on. By Sunday and Monday he was using his golf clubs like canes and nearly collapsed after each swing. A full golf swing puts tremendous strain on the knee. It forces the knee sideways when it is designed to go only forward and back. Tiger’s performance through pain was truly a testimony to his courage and will to win.
    His upcoming knee surgery and corresponding rest period for the stress fracture to heal will end his tournament play for the rest of the year. His doctors have told him the recuperation period will be six to eight months.
    As the world’s best golfer and the pro golf tour’s main attraction Tiger will be greatly missed. If he misses a tournament, TV viewership is greatly reduced. The same thing happens to crowd attendance. Even his fellow golfing competitors will miss him, though they jokingly say if Tiger is in the tournament the other golfers are playing for second place. Everybody wants Tiger Back soon.