Tuesday 8 December 2015 14:22, UK
Former US Open champion Michael Campbell believes Tiger Woods’ gym regime during his prime could be to blame for the 14-time major winner’s injury problems.
Woods revealed last week that he had not started rehabilitation following his latest back surgery and that he had no idea if or when he'd be able to return to competitive golf.
The former world No 1 has seen his career blighted with injury in recent years and hasn't swung a club in over two months since having to undergo an unexpected follow-up procedure on his back in October.
Doubts remain as to whether Woods, who hosted this week's Hero World Challenge, will continue his playing career, with the 39-year-old admitting he is now prepared for the possibility of retirement.
But Campbell, who played alongside Woods on numerous occasions during his career and famously beat him to 2005 US Open victory, feels things may have been different had he trained differently during his peak.
Ahead of being part of Sky Sports' PGA Tour coverage from the Bahamas, Campbell said: "I remember playing a lot with him in 2000 and he was just awesome. He was strong but slightly built, whereas now I think he's gained too much muscle and put too much weight on his left knee.
"If you look at him physically from 2000 to now, or even to 2008, he bulked up too much. He worked so hard in the gym to the point he couldn't walk the next day.
"He’s obviously set the very high bar and everyone followed. They had to, or they would have just fallen behind."
"It's hindsight now, but I'd have said to him to try yoga or Pilates or something because he didn't need to get any bigger. I could be wrong, but I think it was for vanity reasons to be honest rather than for his golfing level.
"I had a conversation with a very good friend of mine, George Gregan, who said his secret for longevity and being able to play 139 times for the Wallabies was Pilates and yoga - it helped him get through so many tests.
"When you do come out and start playing again knowing you're 100% physically, there are still a lot of mental scars there. The mental scars are more noticeable than the physical ones.
"From my own personal experience, I had a wrist injury for a little bit and was out for six months and even when I started playing again, I still thought about it. It's the natural thing to do, it's human instinct.
"Tiger's nearly 40 now and the older you get the longer it will take to heel all the surgeries and injuries he has had, but for him to have been through what he has and had surgery seven times is just phenomenal."
Woods has been a household name in the sport for since turning professional nearly two decades ago, although there is now a new crop of players trying to be the dominant force that the 79-time PGA Tour winner once was.
Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day will resume their battle for world No 1 in 2016, with Campbell expecting big things from golf's latest big guns.
"Tiger has changed the game completely and helped it evolve a lot," Campbell added. "He's obviously set the very high bar and everyone followed. They had to, or they would have just fallen behind.
"When I first came out in 1993 there were no fitness instructors in the locker room, no physios and we just went straight from the 18th hole to the bar, but now that has changed completely.
"I think these four or five guys will keep pushing each other to the limit. It's great for the game and you can clearly see the future of golf is in very good hands - no question about that.
"These guys are down to earth, very personable and are really good guys, too, so the future of the game is looking very, very bright."
