Fans send their best wishes

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Because of his painful left knee injury that will require additional surgery, Tiger Woods will not play for the remainder of 2008. Fans e-mailed Tiger to send encouraging comments, admiration and prayers. Take a look at their reactions:

You have brought me so much joy over the last decade; I'm going to go through withdrawal over the next 6 months or so (as will the PGA TOUR)! I pray that you have a brilliant surgeon with a steady hand and the best technology. And I pray that you recover quickly and painlessly. It will be wonderful for you to spend time with your family, especially Sam. It was so sweet when she reached out to you at the U.S. Open -- she obviously loves her daddy. It's extremely unfortunate that this had to happen, but I'm sure there will be plenty of lessons learned along the way. It will be a wonderful opportunity to let the legend grow as you come back better than ever! You are a true sports hero. Best wishes, Debbie (No. 1 fan)

Rehab well, enjoy your family and you will come back stronger than ever. It is a pleasure watching you play and you are an inspiration to kids all over the world. Bruce

Great performance last week! Best of luck with your surgery and rehab. Sincerely, Jim

Tiger, We are pulling for you. We hope all goes well for you with the upcoming surgical procedure on your knee. Please know your presence on the PGA TOUR is why I watch golf, why 11 buddies of mine formed a group of golfers called the Golf Channel Golfers and why I have no problems getting up at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings to play the best game invented. You are an inspiration and millions admire you. We want you healthy when you return. Peace and God's best for you and your family. Ernest

Great performance at the U.S. Open! Hope your surgery and rehab goes well. You will definitely be missed on the Ryder Cup Team. Alan

Best wishes to you Tiger, I know it was a hard decision, but it was a wise one. I know you will be back healthy and stronger than ever! I will miss you. Listen to the doctors! Jocelyne

You are a joy to watch, hope your recovery time is short and complete....John from Wilson, N.C.

Tiger, You are an awesome, incredible ambassador for golf. Your display of character and poise are a tribute to your upbringing and I am so impressed at how you are such a model for everyone to aspire to. I wish you a speedy recovery and can't wait to see you compete on the TOUR again. I will be cheering for you in Chaska in 2009. Kevin in Minneapolis, Minn.

The best to you Tiger, get that knee and leg well. We will miss you while you're away! What a performance you put on at the U.S. Open. You and Rocco rocked Torrey! The 2008 season will not be the same without you. Have a very speedy recovery and listen to your doctors. We want a very healthy Tiger back in 2009! Patti

Get well soon, Tiger. At least you'll have time to see your daughter grow, definitely worth one or two majors. Now you have 10 months to focus on winning your fifth Masters! Best regards, Albert from Los Angeles, Calif.

I wish you well Tiger -- the PGA TOUR will not be the same without you. You are truly one amazing athlete, get well soon! Eric

Tiger, I'll be praying for you during your surgery and for your healthy recovery. Golf will be boring without you there, but it's more important that you take care of yourself to ensure you many more years playing on TOUR. Congratulations on winning the U.S. Open! It was an incredible victory, especially considering your health conditions. I'm looking forward to next year. Jan in Princeton, N.J.

Hi Tiger, After experiencing the same knee trouble as yourself I know what you are going through. It took me the best part of 12 months to get back on the golf course. The rest will do you a world of good and you will come back all the stronger for it. Take care. Regards, Phil in Auckland, New Zealand

Tiger, I am sure if your dad was around he would have told you NOT TO PLAY. I don't know what damage you have done but you are a man with a mission & very dedicated. Please be smart this time and get the knee right before playing again so you don't end up unable to walk. Spend time with your family and get to know Jesus. He is the one who will heal you in everyway possible. I will be praying for you. Thanks, Donny

Tiger, Congratulations on the win. The coolest part, however, was seeing Sam reaching out for you. Hope you recover quickly. Kerry

Tiger, You showed tremendous heart, determination and an iron will to get the job done at Torrey. I am in utter amazement that you could pull off a feat like this considering the circumstances. It is an absolute pleasure to watch you play. Sometimes I stare at the TV in disbelief at what you are able to do. I literally jump off the couch and give my dad and brothers high fives. I feel I have been lucky to watch you and Jordan in his prime. Keep up the hard work and perseverance. I admire you for what you do off the course as well. Thanks for giving me something to smile about. Hope everything goes well in your recovery. You will be missed for the rest of the year. Sincerely, Blake in Birmingham, Ala.

There are two things I look forward to every summer-- spending more time with my kids and watching Tiger Woods in every event he plays. It's like America without apple pie! I hope that Tiger takes the proper amount of time to heal so he can continue his most certain quest for becoming the greatest golfer of all time. Good Luck and get well soon! Tera

Tiger, You put on quite a show last weekend. Even while in pain, you're an inspiration. Congratulations on No. 14 and rest up....there's always 2009! Thanks for the memories! Jon in New York, N.Y.

Tiger, In a room full of 40- and 50-somethings, everyone else was rooting for Rocco. I agreed that he would have made a popular champion, but I had the feeling that I was watching history in the making. Now that we fully understand the extent of the injuries that you were playing with, I'm sure this victory will be remembered as one of the classics in golf history. I look forward to the next chapter in your amazing life story. Mark

We enjoyed watching you at the Open. My husband volunteered three days and we were glued to the TV set the rest of the time. What a great final round and playoff. Congratulations on your accomplishments especially in light of your injury. Hope you are back on the course soon. We'll miss you. Gale

Tiger, You have inspired and made me proud for years. The most important thing now is to use this time to be thankful and increase your faith in Jesus, knowing that in Him is not only salvation but healing. Wishing you complete restoration and wholeness. Arvester in Tupelo, Miss.

Tiger: I watched every minute of coverage, no matter what network, of your U.S. Open victory. And then of course, I watched the hours and hours of post-tournament coverage. All I can say is that it was the gutsiest performance I believe I have ever seen in any sport, let alone golf. Naturally I was saddened to hear that you'll be missing the remainder of the 2008 season. I sincerely hope and pray that all goes well with your upcoming surgery, and the months of rehab that will follow. All I know is that the next time I play, and feel a slight twinge in my back or leg, I'll think twice about complaining, or blaming a bad shot on it. You were an inspiring sight to see during this tournament. Good luck and take the time off to enjoy that little angel of a daughter you have. It was obvious on Monday that she wants to spend more time with Daddy. Looking forward to 2009 and you winning the Grand Slam. That would give you 18, and if you would be so kind as to wait until the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach to get No. 19, I would appreciate it, as I am planning on attending that tournament. Best regards, John in Stockton, Calif.

I pray that you get better sooner. The PGA TOUR is not the same when you are not in the field. Love baby Sam in your arms. Best wishes for a complete recovery. Paul in Vancouver, Canada

Tiger, you are the best! Get well and rest that leg and knee! Cordially, Luke in Phoenix, Ariz.

From our family to yours, Please let Tiger know that we will pray for his speedy, full recovery. We will pray for his family and their health and happiness and that he not give Elin too much trouble while he is recovering. Congratulations Tiger! We are all so proud of you and the positive impact you have made on the game of golf for the present and for the future generations yet to come. Dean and Marge in Schertz, Texas

Tiger, Congratulations on winning the U.S. Open. Best wishes on your up coming surgery. I will keep you in my prayers. Good luck. Sincerely, Warnita

Get well soon Tiger! Take the Grand Slam next year, you are the golfing God. Eddy

Hi, Well done on winning the U.S. Open. Good luck with the surgery. Regards, Francois

Thanks for a wonderful year. I can't believe that it is ending for you - and it might as well be for me too. At age 72, I've had my heroes - Ben Hogan, then fanatical about Arnie and then you came along and blew them all away. I guess I will get some chores done on the weekends now, but take care of yourself and I hope that next year you will continue to dominate. (And, happy birthday to Sam)! David

Tiger, First and foremost, thank you for the pure joy of watching 91 holes of the best golf I have ever witnessed. You and Rocco did us all a huge favor by allowing us to witness pure sport at its best. You will be deeply missed the remainder of the season and I am guessing the ratings alone will bare that out. But, and you don't need me to tell you this, you are doing the right thing. I am happy for you in terms of the time you will get with your family and friends over the coming months. Sam will be blessed to have Dad around. And we all look forward to your full recovery and seeing you again next season. I am working the US Open at Bethpage next June and it will be an honor to be there with you. Sincerely, Bill in Staten Island, N.Y.

Hope Tiger gets well. It's going to be hard to adjust without my favorite player. I'm glad you get to enjoy your daughter for awhile, though. We love you! Buena

Good luck, Tiger! Thanks for the entertainment you provided with your quality of play at the U.S. Open. Please get well soon, we can't wait to see you in action again. Rolando in El Salvador

Dear Tiger, First, congratulations on your 2008 U.S. Open victory. You and Rocco had a great duel. Pity that there had to be a loser on that day. Look forward to your return in 2009. I love watching you play the game of golf, even here in Australia. You surely are a champion, Tony

Wish you the best of luck; see you again next season in 2009. Thank you for put out the great shows in this season. Sakorn in Las Vegas, Nev.

I arose the morning of 6/18/08 to learn the devastating news on the GOLF CHANNEL of Tiger's condition. I'm sorry that it had to happen. I almost cried when I read the condolences from the PGA TOUR players and staff from various news sources. Golf won't be the same without him since the world's No. 1 is one true ambassador of the sport itself. I normally peruse through the Yahoo! news and photo alerts daily for updates. I guess that I can take a break to find something else interesting to do other than to rest my eyes from my laptop computer. Thanks, Tiger! Get well soon & God bless, Paul