Tiger Woods - © Alexi Orloff

After sustaining multiple leg injuries in a car crash in Los Angeles, Tiger Woods' golfing future is on hold. Is Tiger's career over? The decryption of Jean-Pascal Dupuis, future doctor of the hope pole at the National Golf, now having the record of the American in Guyancourt.

Will Tiger Woods ever be able to play on the PGA TOUR again?

Jean-Pascal Dupuis: Difficult question because he has an articular and open fracture of the right ankle. It affects the joint, and joint fractures in the bone are more difficult to treat and cause stiffness.

The 2nd point, in addition, the fracture is open, and therefore there is a potential risk of poorer healing, therefore open to the air ... In terms of treatment, what we have been able to learn, they put it a nail at the level of the tibia, and screws in the malleoli. The downside is putting the material in an area where the bone is close to the skin… This creates problems in terms of acceptability of something that is introduced into the body.

What is the healing time?

J.-PD: There will be no return for 6 months, and not for a year if he is hampered by the nail and the screws, while the consolidation takes place. Then he will have to wait several weeks to be ready and resume support on his injured ankle.

Is this the end of Tiger Woods' career?

J.-PD: I'm afraid of it. His injury will generate osteoarthritis, pain, and the right foot support is extremely important for a player of this level ... At best, an embarrassment, at worst yes, the end of his career because of the pain and stiffness in her ankle and foot.

So you can assure us, he won't be at the Ryder Cup in September ...

J.-PD: You can never be sure, but it is impossible for me. Pushing back fairways would be enormous. According to the journalistic report (since we do not have access to the medical report), if you project yourself, it will be ultra-complicated. If we take the example of Didier Pironi (French F1 driver), he had a fracture in the same place and he never got back behind the wheel.

The doctors put the same screws on him as at Tiger Woods, but he could no longer accelerate and brake, no longer drive in competition. If you break your shin, at a pinch, it's easier. The bone is broken in two, you put a rod, and the whole becomes solid. There, with a joint fracture, it requires consolidation, but also mobility.

Can he adapt, modify his swing to compensate for the deficiencies arising from his accident?

J.-PD: It's possible. He has already done this several times in relation to his back. After that, there are technical limits linked to the adaptation of the swing. On a climb, if your ankle and your right foot are partially blocked, and you are not anchored enough to the ground, there will be less ankle rotation and inevitably less finish. And when it comes to putting, how do you read a line of putt without squatting like they do? We're not talking about squatting like amateur golfers do.

Interview by Antoine Grynbaum

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