Faldo weighs in on Woods' woes

Cape Town - Nick Faldo has weighed in with his thoughts on Tiger Woods, who was a late withdrawal from the Safeway Open this week.

The 14-time major winner revealed he felt his game was "too vulnerable" to compete at the Californian event, which would have been his first since August 2015.

"Golf is a wicked game, it dangles a carrot," quipped Faldo on BBC Sport.

"Ten years ago, I'd hit balls and think, 'I can still play, I can still hit it'. Then you'd go to the course and can't make a score. Everything is stacking up against him now. Physically, mentally and obviously competing.

"On a course, you get a five-minute gap between two shots. I think maybe he is starting to hit the ball better, but it's the stamina to play."

Faldo believes it will be tough for the 40-year-old to return to the form that saw him notch up 79 wins.

"It's going to be a hard grind to come back and compete against the best in the world," he added.

"I know the stamina needed to play 72 holes. He may be able to hit balls on a range, but there's a rhythm to that."

Woods will also miss the Turkish Airlines Open in November but said he may be ready for his foundation's event, the Hero World Challenge, in December.