Rory McIlroy “Doesn’t Bear Thinking About” Golf Without Tiger Woods

In the fast moving world of professional sports, the decade since Tiger Woods‘ last major seems like an eternity. And while he hasn’t been a factor in the sport for several years, golf is still a different place without his booming drives and Sunday red shirts.

On Tuesday, he held a press conference to update the world on his status. While few were expecting any good news, Woods’ outlook is remarkably bleak. He is still yet to begin rehab from his back surgery and doesn’t know when he’ll return to the course.

“I have no answer for that. Neither does my surgeon or my physio. There is no timetable,” Woods said. “There is nothing I can look forward to, nothing I can build towards. Where is the light at the end of the tunnel? I don’t know.”

In response to that bleak outlook, Rory McIlroy – who is currently ranked 3rd in the world compared to Wood’s 400th–took to Instagram to offer encouragement to his former competitor.

 

Photo: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Tiger Woods of the United States shake hands on the 18th green during the final round of the 2015 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2015 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)