Tiger to Play it Safe in 2008

Tiger Woods will shut down his powerful and athletic golf swing through the rest of the year. Woods, recuperating from surgery on his left knee June 24, has not played golf since his scintillating victory in the U.S. Open.

In comments on his website Tiger Woods , the game's No. 1-ranked player said he has begun riding a stationary bicycle as part of the rehabilitation process, and that he doesn't plan on trying to practice or swing a golf club any time soon.

"As far as swinging a club, that's not going to happen until next year," Woods wrote in a blog entry. "I just don't have a choice. We simply don't know what type of swelling there would be or if there would be any residual effects the next day once you start wheeling and dealing on the knee.

"Everyone's body reacts differently. I could putt right now, but I'm not going to do it . . . I don't know what the doctors are going to tell me about playing golf down the road."

If Woods waits until January to get back into the swing of things, it could postpone his return to the PGA Tour until after the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines the first week of February. The San Diego links is where he won the Open title, beating Rocco Mediate on the 91st hole, while also enduring - later discovered - stress fractures in his left tibia. He's has won the Buick Invitational six times.

Due to arthroscopic surgery on the knee earlier in April, Woods played only six PGA Tour events this year, winning four.

Perhaps the most galling of all the tournaments Woods has missed during his absence was the recently completed PGA Championship, won by Padraig Harrington. "As a two-time defending PGA champion, it was a lot more frustrating not to be competing and that hurts the most," Woods wrote.

"The thing I miss the most about not competing is the fight. I've gone through this experience before, so I knew what I was in for. I know I'm in no condition to beat anybody right now, so I don't have a problem with not being able to compete."

Woods will also miss out on defending his title in the FedEx Cup, in which he won $10 million last year.