Sat Apr 26 02:45:06 2008

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Woods off crutches, into knee brace

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(Sports Network) - Recovering from the arthroscopic knee surgery he had last week, Tiger Woods said Friday he's no longer on crutches.

"Now, I'm wearing a knee brace and hope to start rehabbing soon," Woods wrote in his monthly newsletter, though he also said there was no timetable for his return to competitive golf.

Woods had surgery on his left knee April 15, just two days after he finished runner-up to Trevor Immelman at the Masters. The surgery was a surprise to most, but not to the world's No. 1 golfer.

"I knew a couple of months ago I was going to have the surgery," Woods wrote. "The knee has been bugging me for a while. The only decision was do you miss the Masters or play in the Masters? I decided to play. Even if I had won, I still would have had the surgery."

Woods finished second at the Masters for the second year in a row, despite not playing his best golf. The runner-up finish thwarted his chance to win the grand slam this season -- something he'd said was within reason.

"I've definitely been playing in pain, but that's not why I didn't win at Augusta," the four-time Masters champion wrote. "I just never got comfortable with my putting stroke ... Obviously, it was frustrating because I hit the ball well enough to win. It was just one of those things."

It was the third time Woods had surgery on the knee, and the second time in five years. His recovery will keep him out of next week's Wachovia Championship, which he won last year, and also the Players Championship, where he won in 2001.

Doctors told Woods he would be ready in four-to-six weeks, though Woods said himself that nothing is certain.

"I'm just going to do what they tell me to do," he said.

Woods should be ready in time to play the U.S. Open, scheduled for June 12-15 at Torrey Pines, one of the courses he dominates on the PGA Tour.