Woods' agent joins Excel

Tiger Woods' agent Mark Steinberg has joined Excel Sports Management after leaving International Management Group.

World No. 19's agent confirms move

Tiger Woods' agent Mark Steinberg has joined Excel Sports Management after leaving International Management Group. Steinberg's announcement via the Golf Channel came after earlier suggestions Woods himself was to appear and speak to the station's Kelly Tilghman. That led to speculation Woods was going to confirm he would sit out the rest of 2011 and focus on getting fully fit for next season - or even retire completely. Woods has not played competitively for nine weeks due to injury but insisted last week his best was yet to come.

Optimistic

In a statement on his website, Woods - now ranked as low as 19 in the world - said: "I am only going to come back when I'm 100 percent ready. I do not want to risk further injury. "That's different for me, but I'm being smarter this time. "I think my best years are still ahead of me and I'm very confident and optimistic about the future." Steinberg left International Management Group in May, with Woods announcing two weeks later that he would be staying with the man who has handled his career since he turned professional in 1996.