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Woods 'not fully fit until 2010'

30/09/2008

World number one Tiger Woods has admitted he may not be back to full fitness following surgery on his injured knee until the summer of 2010.

The American underwent an operation on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the joint immediately after winning his 14th major title at the US Open in June.

And although Woods said he expects to be fit enough to resume practicing again by January 2009, he admitted he would not be back to 100 per cent fitness for a further 18 months.

The healing process for an ACL is six months and, no matter how much you try and do, you really can't speed up that process," he said.

"That puts me into January, and unfortunately I can't rotate – I can't practice on that leg until then.

"That's just a natural healing process of any ACL for the graft to take."

"I believe the stat is after six months the ACL is 85 per cent in strength and then over the next year and a half it will gain its 100 per cent strength.

"So it's basically a two-year process."

Despite Woods' absence, the United States won their first Ryder Cup title for nine years earlier this month - beating Europe 16½ - 11½ at Valhalla golf club in Kentucky.