Bob Harig outlines how Tiger Woods is working on short-term goals in regard to his rehabilitation and how Woods has a level of comfort that he hasn't experienced in a while. (2:20)

Saying he hasn't felt this good in years, Tiger Woods made it clear on his website Wednesday that he has no plans to retire as a competitive golfer despite a fusion surgery on his back in April that will keep him from swinging a club for months.

"I want to say unequivocally, I want to play professional golf again," Woods said in his first comments since his April 19 surgery, the fourth procedure he's undergone on his back since 2014.

But Woods cautioned he has a long recovery to endure.

"Presently, I'm not looking ahead," Woods wrote. "I can't twist for another two and a half to three months. Right now, my sole focus is rehab and doing what the doctors tell me. I am concentrating on short-term goals."

Woods, 41, saw his season end in early February in Dubai, where he withdrew after a first-round 77. The week before, he had missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open. He had previously sat out all of 2016 until the Hero World Challenge in December.

Tiger Woods can't get on the course for quite a while after back surgery. Rob Kim/Getty Images

The 14-time major champion said he made every attempt to play the Masters in April.

"I did everything I could to play at Augusta and was ready to go," he said. "Unfortunately, it was kind of like the 2008 U.S. Open [where Woods won despite playing with a fracture in his leg and pending ACL surgery]. The pain was post-impact when I swung the club. I figured, 'Can I handle it?' This time the answer was, 'Probably not.' That shows the effect that nerve pain can have.

"Obviously, it was a huge disappointment not to play. I hate to miss any major, especially the Masters, but the reality is I just couldn't play."

But Woods said he is optimistic now that he feels better.

"You mention the word 'fusion,' and it's scary," he wrote. "Other guys who have had fusions or disk replacements like Davis Love III, Retief Goosen, Lee Trevino, Lanny Wadkins and Dudley Hart ... they have all come back and played.

"But more than anything, it made their lives better. That's the most important thing ... that I can have a life again with my kids."

Both Trevino and Wadkins spoke optimistically in a recent interview with GolfWorld about Woods' ability to return if he is patient and makes sure everything heals properly.

"I really feel that pain-free, Tiger has a good chance," Wadkins told GolfWorld.com. "For all he's been through, he's still got a lot going in his favor. Frankly, it's amazing to me how many people almost seem like they want him to be done. Why would you want him gone?

"All he does if he comes back and plays is make our game better. Can you imagine if Tiger could come back and play at a really high level? Where he can win tournaments competing with these kids today? It would be some of the most exciting stuff we've ever seen."

For the first time, Woods did not attend the Tiger Jam fundraiser that was held in Las Vegas over the weekend. It is unclear whether he will be present next month at the Quicken Loans National, a tournament that benefits his foundation.

"The long-term prognosis is a positive," he said. "My surgeon and physiotherapist say the operation was successful. It's just a matter of not screwing it up and letting it fuse. I'm walking and doing my exercises, and taking my kids to school. All I can do is take it day by day. There's no hurry."