Tiger Woods says football players who have the kind of knee surgury that ended his season usually are not at their best for two years.

“Luckily, I don’t play football,” Woods recently said.

Woods said his knee will probably be no more than 85% strong when he returns, but he sees no reason why he can’t get back to the level of play that brought him nine victories in 12 official events this year, no finish worse than a tie for fifth.

One week after winning the U.S Open in a 19 hole playoff at Torry Pines, Woods had surgery to rebuild the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. If the healing process runs its normal course, he said he will not be swing a club until January at the earliest.

Woods said his goal was getting his body healthy for 2009 to compete at a high level.

He said his nine months of competition, from an eight shot victory in the Bridgestone Invitational through his playoff at the U.S Open for his 14th career major, was the best stretch of his career.

“I think I played better in this stretch than I have at any time in my career,” said Woods, whose 65 career PGA vitories trail only Jack Nicklaus (73) and Sam Snead (82). “I may have won more major championships, but I certainly have never been in contention in as many events, or won as many events in a row. I had a pretty good run.”

In the only three tournaments he didn’t win between August 2007 and June 2008, Woods finished two shots behind Phil Mickelson at the Deutsche Bank Championship, two shots behind Geoff Ogilvy at Doral and three shots behind Trevor Immelman at the Masters.

But he could face a fresh challenge when he returns.

Over the last five months, Anthony Kim has emerged as golf’s brightest young prospect with wins in the Wachovia Championship and AT&T National at Congressional, along with a starring role in the U.S victory at the Ryder Cup.

The 23 year old Kim began the year at No. 75 in the world, now is at No. 6.

Other players who could challenge Woods when he returns are Steve Stricker, Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Justin Leonard, Hunter Mahan and Boo Weekly as well as Padraig Harrington and Paul Casey of Europe.

With so mach success by younger players, is Woods eager to return?

“Yes and no,” he said. “Because as of right now, I couldn’t beat anyone. I can’t swing a club yet. So there’s really no sense in me getting too excited and too fired up, and going out there and embarrassing myself right now. Maybe I could take them on in a putt-putt contest.”

He is curious what he could have done without knee surgery.

Woods won four of his six starts on the PGA tour, and kept his lead on the money list until Labor Day.