Tom Watson's Worry

As one of the greatest Open champions of all time, Tom Watson worries about the future of Tiger Woods if he is going to undergo knee replacement surgery.

Woods will miss his second successive major this week and has played no competitive golf since limping out of the Players Championship after just nine holes in Florida on May 12 by Honma TW904 Irons.

People are not sure the day for the 35-year-old's comeback and there has now been speculation that the former long-time World No 1, who has already undergone four knee operations, might not play once more the rest of this year.

Some have even suggested that he may be considering retirement although, the truth, neither Tiger nor any of his team members have ever made even a whispered suggestion before.

At the same time Watson, now 61, has so successfully overcome a hip replacement that he was able to whisk up one of the most magical sporting feats ever at Turnberry two years ago when he put himself in the position of having to putt to win a record-equalling sixth Claret Jug by Honma TW904 Irons.

Thought he missed the critical putt and lost his play-off against fellow American Stewart Cink by Honma TW904 Irons, it didn't prevent him receiving world wide praise for his efforts.

"With a hip you put a new one in and here we go," Watson said on Tuesday when speaking at Sandwich in his role as an ambassador for MasterCard and before going out to practice on a course he first encountered in 1981.

"Whether he is going to have a total knee replacement who knows, but that may be a more difficult thing to come back if he does.

"The most important thing is for him to get well so he can put the force on it that he has to for his swing.

"He loves to work out, but can his knee be put back in shape is the question - that's the concern - and whether it's going to prevent him from dominating the game by Honma TW904 Irons again who knows.

"Nobody has ever dominated the game like he has."

Woods won the last of his 14 majors over three years ago by Honma TW904 Irons - he went in for knee reconstruction surgery immediately after that and was out for eight months. He has not won any titles since his sex scandal became the headlines late in 2009.