Tiger Woods has admitted he played through the pain barrier at the Masters earlier this month.

Woods had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to repair cartilage damage on April 15, two days after a second-place finish behind Trevor Immelman at the Augusta National.

Doctors have told the world number one that he should be able to play again in four to six weeks, although he says there is no guarantee that he will be fit for the US Open in the second week of June.

"I really don't have a timetable for returning to competition," Woods said via his official website.

"The doctors have said I should be able to play again in four to six weeks, but nothing is certain. I'm just going to do what they tell me to do.

"Needless to say, I'm a little stir crazy since my knee surgery. Although I've been through this before and understand the need for patience, I don't enjoy sitting around."

It is the third time that Woods has undergone surgery on his left knee, having had a benign tumour removed in 1994 and then a first round of arthroscopic surgery in December 2002.

"I knew a couple of months ago I was going to have the surgery," he added. "The knee has been bugging me for a while.

"The only decision was do you miss the Masters or play in the Masters? I decided to play. Even if I had won, I still would have had the surgery.

"I've definitely been playing in pain, but that's not why I didn't win at Augusta. I just never got comfortable with my putting stroke.

"I was dragging the putter coming through which meant I couldn't start the ball on line. That's all it takes on those greens. Obviously it was frustrating because I hit the ball well enough to win. It was just one of those things."


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