What comes next for Tiger Woods, nobody knows

ORLANDO, Fla. — Not quite sure exactly how this week would play out, Joe LaCava decided to get to Florida a few days early. After a year of virtual inactivity, the caddie for Tiger Woods wanted to get out of the house. Playing some golf with his son, Joe Jr., and soaking up some sun made all kinds of sense.

For the first time in a year, LaCava was back where he felt best, inside the ropes with Woods and feeling at home. He knows moments like this past weekend at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club might be fleeting.

“I’d like to do this more than once a year,” he joked.

The sad reality, of course, is that the next time he and Woods are together in a formal working relationship setting could be awhile. As good as Woods looked at the PNC Championship this week playing with his son, Charlie — and finishing second by two shots to John Daly and his son, John II — the reality is that he is nowhere close to being ready to compete in PGA Tour events.

The swing looks great, the speed will return, but one of the basic concepts associated with the game — walking — is going to take some time. Woods knows it. LaCava can see it, too, even though he was happy to witness so many smiles, so many good shots, especially during a Sunday effort that got far more competitive than anyone thought it would.

“I don’t want to say shocked, but I’m a little pleasantly surprised,” LaCava said. “A lot of quality long-iron shots. Short game is midseason form. Good touch. Good distance control on the 60-, 70-, 80-yard shots.

“Obviously, physically you can see he’s in a lot of pain. He’s not even close to being there yet, to be able to walk a golf course and play at that level. But in terms of the golf, not all bad. He doesn’t have the speed and the strength back yet. JT [Justin Thomas] was hitting it 30, 40 [yards] past him at times [on Saturday]. But I think that’ll come when he gets some of his stamina back.”

LaCava did get to ply his craft a few times in 2021 while Woods was recovering from…