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Tiger Woods gives advice to a young golfer earlier this week. AP/Press Association Images

Tiger Woods believes this comeback will be better than all his previous ones

The former world number one had back surgery in September.

TIGER WOODS HAD an unexpected second back surgery in September after learning that a slipped disk in his back had pinched a nerve, and on Tuesday he said that he plans for the recovery to be โ€œlong and tedious.โ€

From the AP:

โ€œRehab will be soon, and it will be tedious and long,โ€ Woods said at the Bridgestone Americaโ€™s Golf Cup, an exhibition he was supposed to play with Matt Kuchar until the second surgery.

โ€œThe last one, it took me awhile to get back. Some players on tour have done the same procedure and to be back pain-free it took them over a year.โ€

This is Woodsโ€™ second back surgery; his first came in 2014 and the recovery took only three months.

Since returning to action, Woods has struggled mightily on the course. His best finish in nearly two years came this past August at the Wyndham Championship, where he finished tied for 10th. He hasnโ€™t won since 2013, and is currently ranked 339 in the world.

But the latest news of Woodsโ€™ long and tedious recovery isnโ€™t all bad for the 14-time Major champion.

Because unlike in the past, where surgeries have caused him to change his swing while also recovering physically, Woodsโ€™ said that he doesnโ€™t plan on changing his swing because the recovery will have been more comprehensive.

โ€œThis year I tried to play after the back surgery and it wasnโ€™t fun because all of the pain. Also after my last surgery, I was changing my swing and to be able to do that successfully you have to practice a lot, and I could not practice because I was doing the rehab,โ€ Woods said.

โ€œIt was a very complicated situation because of that.โ€

In July, Woods explained that simultaneously rehabbing his back while also changing his swing caused a โ€œperfect stormโ€ that derailed his game.

โ€œDonโ€™t forget, I came off back surgery,โ€ Woods told the media before the Quicken Loans National in July.

โ€œI changed my golf swing and did a polar 180 and recovering from back surgery. You add those two together, itโ€™s the perfect storm and I have had to fight through both of those at the same time.โ€

Woods turns 40 in December, but says he doesnโ€™t feel that heโ€™s that far off his form from 2013 โ€” a year in which he won five tournaments and earned PGA Tour Player of the Year laurels. Heโ€™s also still got his eyes on Jack Nicklausโ€™ mark of 18 majors.

โ€œItโ€™s important for me to have more than 18 majors when all is said and done,โ€ Woods said.

โ€œIt took Jack his whole career to achieve it and mine is not done yet. I believe that I have a very good record for 20 years on the tour. The main thing is to get fit and to reach my 40s with good health to be as successful as Vijay [Singh], who won most of his tournaments at that age.โ€

If Woods wants to have any shot at doing that, heโ€™ll have to get both his health and swing back on track. Luckily, this time in order to improve his back, heโ€™s not going to have to fix his swing, too.

- Business Insider, Emmett Knowlton

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    Mute mcdb06
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    Oct 22nd 2015, 10:12 AM

    He needs to take a year off and let his body heal. Keeps coming back too early and causing himself further injuries.

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    Mute Beano
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    Oct 22nd 2015, 11:06 AM

    Ah here we go againโ€ฆ.โ€™hesโ€™s back, this is the turning point in his careerโ€™

    Round 1: Tiger shoots 12+

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    Mute Barry Newell
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    Oct 22nd 2015, 1:22 PM

    Mentally heโ€™s done. He might win a major again but itโ€™ll be outta the blue.

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    Mute marcusmckenna
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    Oct 22nd 2015, 8:55 AM

    He must be back with the wife!!

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    Mute Figo murphy
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    Oct 22nd 2015, 1:40 PM

    He needs to take a total rest. He needs to stop playing golf, stop going out enjoying himself, stop riding, stop drinking and watch more Netflix.
    In a nutshell, he should get married again!
    Iโ€™ll grab my coat on the way out.

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    Mute Fred west
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    Oct 22nd 2015, 1:36 PM

    He must be back with the hookers ,the Tiger just has to feed his addiction to get back where he was .

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