Woods will miss opener at Kapalua

By Doug Ferguson
Associated Press

Bothered by a sore left knee throughout the year, Tiger Woods had arthroscopic surgery this week and will miss the season-opening Mercedes Championships next month at Kapalua, Maui.

"From what I've been told, the operation went well," Woods said yesterday on his Web site, tigerwoods.com.

The one-hour operation was performed yesterday by Thomas Rosenberg at the HealthSouth Surgical Center in Park City, Utah, to remove fluid inside and outside the anterior cruciate ligament. Benign cysts also were removed. Woods had surgery on the same knee in 1994 to remove a benign tumor.

Mark Steinberg, his agent at IMG, did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Gary Planos, the tournament director for the Mercedes Championships, said Steinberg called him to say Woods would not be playing at Kapalua, Jan. 9-12.

"There's no question we'll miss him, but I hope he gets well," Planos said. "You can't find a cloud here on the island today, so I'm having a hard time finding anyone who feels sorry for me. Tiger has been here all four years, and we anticipate he'll be back."

It will be the first time an injury has caused Woods to skip a tournament.

He first complained of soreness at the season-ending Tour Championship in early November, although Woods said it has bothered him all year.

Despite the injury, Woods became the first player in 30 years to win the Masters and U.S. Open in the same season. He won four other tournaments worldwide, three of them on the PGA Tour.

Last month, he won the PGA Grand Slam of Golf at Po'ipu, Kaua'i for the fifth consecutive year.

"I had been playing in pain most of the year and felt it was time to take care of it," Woods said.

He will be off his feet for the next week-to-10 days, then begin light rehabilitation.

Woods might not play again until Feb. 13 in the Buick Invitational.