NOT MANY people can get away with ribbing Tiger Woods to his face; but, when you're part of the elite club that is reserved for major champions, chances are you can get away with it.
"Hey, do you want a crutch there Tiger?" inquired Pádraig Harrington yesterday, having just spied the world's number one feigning a limp on his way into the media centre at Torrey Pines for the latest prognosis on the most famous crocked left knee in sport.
Woods, who hasn't played since his runner-up finish to Trevor Immelman in the US Masters, underwent arthroscopic surgery on the knee on April 15th and has undertaken an intensive rehabilitation programme involving gym work and cardiovascular exercise since then in his attempt to regain fitness in time for the US Open, which starts here tomorrow.
Is he fully fit? Well, even Woods - a player with 13 major titles, and almost obsessive in his desire to overtake Jack Nicklaus's record haul of 18 - could not confirm that he was 100 per cent fit heading into the season's second major.
"Is it fully recovered? Probably not," replied Woods.
In fact, Woods only made a definitive decision to play here at Torrey Pines - where he has a remarkable win record, including claiming the US Tour's Buick Invitational in each of its last four stagings - a fortnight ago (during the Memorial Tournament).
He explained: "The week prior to the Memorial, I was not feeling good enough where I was sure I could play all four days (in the US Open). But, then, my leg started getting a lot better quickly, which was great. My (weights) lifting went way up, and my endurance came back . . . so that's when I decided (to play)."
Woods, who previously underwent surgery on his knee in 2002, worked with the renowned Las Vegas-based physical therapist Keith Kleven in his recuperation from this latest surgery.
"I had my procedure done on the Tuesday after the Masters and I started working with Keith four or five days post-op and we've worked pretty good since then to try to get things organised so I can play."
However, while Woods paid an advance visit here last Wednesday, he hasn't yet managed to play 18 holes since his last round of the Masters. He practised on Sunday - mainly walking the course and confining himself mainly to pitching and putting on a number of holes - and, on both Monday and yesterday, he played nine holes of practice so as not to overextend himself. Had he felt any twinges?
"It's a little sore, but not anything I haven't dealt with before," responded Woods, who added that he wasn't playing purely because it was a major. He claimed he would have returned to competition this week, even if it was just a regular tournament.
On the last occasion that Woods incurred such a lengthy break heading into a major, the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot after the death of his father, Earl, he missed the cut. He is 5 to 1 (with Paddy Power) to miss the cut this time, but is still priced at 7 to 2 favourite to claim a third US Open title.
Woods doesn't see any relationship between the lay-off due to his father's death and the equivalent period of inactivity associated with his knee surgery.
"This is totally different. You can't compare the two mentally, they're two totally different places . . . a couple of years ago, when my dad passed, coming back and playing was a lot more difficult than I thought. If I take time off and come back, I always work on my fundamentals. Who taught me my fundamentals? It was my dad.
"All the things I had to go through and my preparations for tournaments, my dad taught me all those things. Getting out and playing and practising, I didn't want to do that because I'd always think about Dad. That was the hardest thing. Usually people go to work to get away from it, but to me it brought more feelings out. So it was a little more difficult practising and preparing."
What we do know is that Woods will tee up tomorrow alongside his great modern rival Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott in a group uniquely based off the top three players in the world rankings. What we don't know is how his knee will stand up.
