Tiger Woods said that he’s “got a long way to go” before he can make a return to professional golf but insisted the “fire still burns to compete.”

Woods was speaking to reporters on Tuesday at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, a tournament he hosts. The 48-year-old is not playing this week as he continues to recover from a back surgery he underwent in September.

The 15-time major winner has not played since The Open in July and the recent back problem continues Woods’ struggles with injuries, with the golf star saying that “the body just won’t recover like it used to.”