I don't recall saying Tiger era is over: Luke Donald
Luke Donald disputes a British newspaper headline in which he says the Tiger Woods era is over.
- Associated Press
- Updated: September 15, 2011 04:50 PM IST
Luke Donald disputes a British newspaper headline in which he says the Tiger Woods era is over.
"I don't recall ever saying the Tiger era is over," Donald said on Wednesday at the BMW Championship. "I've certainly said in the past I think it's tough to come back from physical injuries. I've had some, and obviously being away from the game for so long, it's certainly not going to be easy for him to get back to where he was.
"I wouldn't doubt that Tiger will come back and win again."
The Daily Express published a story on Wednesday with the headline, "Luke Donald: The Tiger Woods Era is 'Over.'"
In the story, Donald is quoted as saying, "When you get that combination of injury plus the scandal that went on, mentally that's quite scarring. It's a lot to take, even for someone with one of the strongest minds in golf. It's a confidence sport. Even though Tiger's only 35, there are a lot of young guys coming up - Rory McIlroy and Keegan Bradley and a bunch of others. I would assume a new era is upon us."
Woods now has gone two full years without winning on the PGA Tour. His most recent win was the Australian Masters in November 2009, right before the car accident outside his Florida home led to revelations of infidelity.
Since then, five of the last eight major champions have been in their 20s.
"Whether the Tiger era is over, I don't know," Donald said. "Obviously, there's a lot of great young players coming up and showing a lot of talent. But certainly, I would never be naive enough to write Tiger off. He has a tremendous amount of talent, and I'm sure when he starts playing a little bit more, that will start showing again."