At The Turn: Tiger’s torment offers a cautionary tale for ailing older golfers
OTTAWA — A middle-aged golfer with an ailing back, a balky swing, prescriptions for painkillers and a burning desire for a return to form — turns out the archetypal aches-and-pains amateur has something in common with Tiger Woods after all.
As the fairways beckon Canada’s growing ranks of retiring baby boomers, the latest headlines swirling around the game’s legendary former world No. 1 offer a cautionary tale for anyone who might be hoping to resurrect past golf glories.
Golf, famously, is a game for life — especially for newly retired players anxious to reacquaint themselves. It’s also known for painful knee and back injuries, not to mention a mysterious, sometimes insatiable appetite for excellence, as Woods and countless others can attest.
Throw in an aging population and an epidemic of opioid abuse, and danger looms large, experts say.