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I came back too soon and might miss US Open - Tiger

Tiger Woods hasn't played a full 18 holes since the final round of the Masters © PA Photos

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Tiger Woods has admitted that he returned to golf too soon after injuring his left knee at the Masters, but still hopes to be fit to play in the US Open next month.

Woods - who had offered a $1 million donation to his foundation if he was not asked about his leg during a Tuesday press conference - has spent the past week using crutches to protect his knee and wearing a protective boot on his damaged Achilles, after aggravating an injury he picked up at Augusta National in April while returning at the Players Championship earlier this month.

Doctors have said that he should be fit to resume his career at the US Open at Congressional in the middle of June, although Woods did seem to sound a note of caution about his immediate prospects.

"Yeah, I probably did," Woods said, when asked whether he returned to the game too soon. "As far as being ready for Congressional, I'm doing everything I can. My doctors said I should be ready by then, I should be good to go.

"There is a scenario where I don't play [at the US Open]. But I'm not looking at it that way.

"The Memorial [next week] is doubtful.

"A lot depends on the injury. How it behaves, over time. I'd much rather take it slow and see how it progresses on a week-to-week basis.

"As for as the future goes, I've had four surgeries on it - so obviously it isn't like when I was little. But between now and when I'm riding around on a buggy on the senior tour, it should be pretty good."

Woods revealed that his leg will require a lot of rehabilitation before he can return to the course, and has been intensively treating the injury to try and get back on the path to full fitness as soon as possible.

"It's atrophied because I haven't been able to do anything," he said. "Still been icing, ultrasounds and soft-tissue work but eventually I will have to strengthen the leg again and that will determine when I can start hitting balls again."

Nevertheless, the 35-year-old doesn't believe it is the biggest challenge he has faced in the game - after coming off a broken leg and serious anterior cruciate ligament injury around the time of his magnificent victory at the 2008 US Open.

"It was frustrating because I felt like I was playing well at Augusta. I like to run, I like to practise - and they are all things that I haven't been able to do," he said.

"But it is not the first time I've had to deal with injuries: coming off the reconstruction of my ACL was by far more difficult, because it took forever.

"I was a lot more concerned in '07 and the start of '08 with my ruptured Achilles and damaged cartilage. This is a cakewalk in comparison."

This week Woods dropped out of the top ten in the world rankings for the first time since 1997, but expressed little surprise or disappointment at that fact - just an acceptance that it represents his recent form.

"Well obviously I haven't won in a while," he noted. "I'm looking forward to when I can get back out there and compete again."

The 14-time major champion also rejected any suggestions he will eventually have to have his knee replaced - "No one's ever mentioned that" - and joked that pain during his swing no longer affects him: "I haven't been pain-free in a long time - thank God there is Ibuprofen!"

Finally, Woods still believes that he has a great opportunity to eventually overhaul Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 Major victories, despite an increasing list of injury problems.

"It's one of the thing that drives me - 18 is the benchmark in our sport," he said. "I've had a pretty good run, and I'm looking forward to the future.

"I still have plenty of time."

Woods later confirmed on Twitter he would still donate $1m to the Tiger Woods Foundation, despite being asked about his knee in the opening question of the press conference.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.