Tiger: 'I have a long way to go' before returning to competitive golf

Despite an impressive second-place finish at the PNC Championship in December, Tiger Woods still isn't close to making his return to competitive golf.

Woods spoke about his progress on Wednesday - almost a year to the date that a car accident nearly led to the amputation of his right leg.

"My golf activity has been very limited. I can chip and putt really well, I can hit short irons really well, but I haven't done any of the long stuff seriously," Woods told the media ahead of the Genesis Invitational, a tournament he hosts.

Tiger noted that competing on the PGA TOUR is completely different than playing at a father-son challenge, like the PNC Championship.

"I was in a cart (at PNC), okay. I can play weekend warrior golf. That's easy," he explained. "But to be able to be out here, call it six rounds of golf: practice round, Pro-Am, four competitive days. It's the cumulative effect of all that. I'm not able to do that yet."

The PGA TOUR has approved cart exemptions in the past, but Tiger said before the PNC Championship that he would "absolutely not" use a cart for a competitive event.

However, the 46-year-old says walking the golf course is one of his biggest obstacles.

"I can walk on a treadmill all day. That's easy. It's just straight. There's no bumps in the road," he said. "But walking on a golf course where there's undulations, I have a long way to go."

He added: "Each and every day is a fight, and I welcome that fight."

Woods said he'll return to competitive golf eventually but never on a full-time basis, adding that he'll pick and choose his events.

"Will I come back? Yes. Will I come back and play a full schedule? No. I said that at Albany. That'll never happen again," he explained. "I can play certain events here and there, but on a full-time level? No."