Tiger Woods nearly quit golf in 2017 and actually needed a nerve blocker in order to walk into the 2017 Champions Dinner at Augusta National before spinal fusion surgery allowed him to resume his PGA career.

Woods was speaking at Wednesday’s Golf Writers Association of America awards banquet in August, Georgia, where he received the Ben Hogan Award for continuing to play despite a ‘physical handicap or illness.

Tiger Woods watches his drive off the fifth tee during first round play of the 2019 Masters golf tournament at Augusta National

‘I was done at that particular time,’ Woods said, as quoted by ESPN.

‘I had to get a nerve block just to be able to walk and come to the dinner,’ he continued. ‘It meant so much to me to be part of the Masters and come to the Champions Dinner. I didn’t want to miss it. It was tough and uncomfortable.’

Woods, who began Thursday’s opening round of the Masters as the world’s 12th-ranked player, was not in the top 700 during the 2017 tournament.

After the Champions Dinner, Woods sought help for his ailing back.

‘I ended up going to England that night, saw a specialist there, [and] they recommended unfortunately for me the only way to get rid of the pain I was living in was to have the spinal fusion surgery,’ he said. ‘So I decided to go to Dr. Richard Guyer in Texas and had the surgery.’

Tiger Woods hits a drive on the third hole during at Augusta National on Thursday

It was only a few months later, in May of 2017, that Woods was arrested in Jupiter, Florida on charges of DUI, reckless driving, and improper stopping. Toxicology reports released by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office showed Woods had several pain killers, anxiety calmer Xanax, a sleeping pill, and the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, in his system.

He was sentenced to 12 months of probation.

Since that incident, Woods’s health and his game have both improved.

Last September, Woods won the Tour Championship for his 80th career victory – his first win August of 2013.

‘It was not a fun time,’ Woods said of 2017. ‘Tough couple of years there. But I was able to start to walk again. I was able to participate in life. I was able to be around my kids again, be at their games and their practices.

‘Got to take them to school again. These were all things I couldn’t do for a very long time. Golf was not in my future or even in my distant future. Playing the game again, I couldn’t even do that with my son Charlie. I couldn’t do that in my backyard. After the surgery, I started to feel a lot better.’

Tiger Woods is presented with the Ben Hogan Award by Bob Harig of ESPN during the Golf Writers Association of America 47th Annual Awards Dinner on Wednesday in Augusta

TIGER’S TIMELINE BETWEEN WINS

By The Associated Press

August 4, 2013 – Wins the Bridgestone Invitational for his 18th World Golf Championship title and 79th victory on the PGA Tour.

March 31, 2014 – Has back surgery and announces he will miss the Masters for the first time.

June 26, 2014 – Returns to the PGA Tour and misses the cut at the Quicken Loans National.

August 8, 2014 – Misses the cut in the PGA Championship and says he will take the rest of the year off, including the Ryder Cup, to get healthy.

December 7, 2014 – Returns at the Hero World Challenge and ties for last in an 18-man field at Isleworth, his home course, 26 shots out of the lead.

February 1, 2015 – Looking like an amateur with his short game, shoots 82 in the Phoenix Open to miss the cut. A week later at Torrey Pines, withdraws after 11 holes and says he could never get his glutes activated.

February 11, 2015 – Announces he is taking time off to work on his game, saying that ‘my play, and scores, are not acceptable for tournament golf.’

April 9, 2015 – Returns at the Masters, his chipping issues gone, and ties for 17th.

June 6, 2015 – Shoots an 85 in the third round of the Memorial, his highest score as a professional.

August 14, 2015 – Misses the cut in his third straight major at the PGA Championship.

August 23, 2015 – After sharing the 36-hole lead, ties for 10th in the Wyndham Championship and fails for the first time to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs when playing at least 10 times on the PGA Tour.

September 16, 2015 – Has a second back surgery.

October 28, 2015 – Has a third procedure on his back.

December 1, 2015 – In a somber press conference at his Hero World Challenge, Woods says of his future, ‘So where is the light at the end of the tunnel? I don’t know.’ He says he wants to play again and anything else he achieves will be ‘gravy.’

December 4, 2016 – Returns to competition at the Hero World Challenge, makes 24 birdies and finishes 15th in an 18-man field, 14 shots behind.

January 27, 2017 – Makes first PGA Tour start since the Wyndham Championship in 2015 and misses the cut at Torrey Pines.

February 3, 2017 – After opening with a 77 at the Dubai Desert Classic in calm conditions, withdraws before the start of the second round because of back spasms.

April 19, 2017 – Has a fourth surgery, this one to fuse his lower back.

May 30, 2017 – Woods is arrested and briefly jailed in Jupiter, Florida, on suspicion of DUI. Police find him asleep behind the wheel of his car in the early morning with the engine running. He attributes it to a bad combination of pain medication.

September 27, 2017 – A vice captain at the Presidents Cup, Woods says he has no idea what his future holds because he’s only hitting 60-yard shots.

October 7-23, 2017 – Woods posts three videos on Instagram of a smooth iron swing, a driver and his stinger.

October 27, 2017 – Woods pleads guilty to reckless driving and agrees to enter a diversion program. Prosecutors drop the DUI charge under the plea agreement.

December 3, 2017 – Returns to competition at the Hero World Challenge, posts three rounds in the 60s and ties for ninth against an 18-man field, 10 shots behind.

January 28, 2018 – In his return to the PGA Tour, makes the cut on the number and ties for 23rd at Torrey Pines.

February 20, 2018 – Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk announces Woods as one of his vice captains, says Woods still wants to make the team.

March 11, 2018 – Before enormous crowds at Innisbrook, makes par on the 18th hole to finish one shot out of the lead at the Valspar Championship.

March 18, 2018 – One shot behind in the final round at Bay Hill, yanks tee shot out-of-bounds on the 16th hole and ties for fifth.

July 22, 2018 – Takes the lead in the final round of the British Open, only to make double bogey on the 12th hole and finish in a tie for sixth.

August 12, 2018 – Closes with a 64, his lowest final round ever in a major, and is runner-up to Brooks Koepka in the PGA Championship.

September 4, 2018 – Announced as a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup, his first playing appearance since 2012.

September 23, 2018 – Wins the Tour Championship for his 80th career victory on the PGA Tour.