Woods to skip The Players Championship
Is the end near?
Tiger Woods has decided to skip The Players Championship next week, which has raised concerns about whether or not he will play before Augusta National and where he might decide to play. Several big names have already opted out of the Players Championship after joining LIV Golf, which means that the tournament will now be without the biggest draw in golf.
The PGA Tour released the field list on Friday, where Woods’ name was not found. Although his schedule has been severely limited due to injuries, he would still be eligible to participate based on his five-year exemption from winning the 2019 Masters. The reason behind Woods’ decision to not play in the TPC Sawgrass is still unknown.
Tour Golf on Twitter: “Wow.Tiger Woods commented on Biden saying “Look…he’s done as much for America recently as Phil Mickelson has done for the PGA Tour. All they’ve done is hurt us.” Thoughts on this? pic.twitter.com/pUqhqCP1DH / Twitter”
Wow.Tiger Woods commented on Biden saying “Look…he’s done as much for America recently as Phil Mickelson has done for the PGA Tour. All they’ve done is hurt us.” Thoughts on this? pic.twitter.com/pUqhqCP1DH
Injuries mounting
Woods may have found his way to the Masters through the Seminole Pro-Member event in Florida, where he played 18 holes with PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh. His only other competition this year was at the Genesis Invitational, where he withdrew after six holes in the second round due to the flu.
After having surgery to fuse his right ankle following the Masters last year, Woods returned to the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas in December. Although walking was no longer a major issue, he still experienced soreness from other parts of his body. He has undergone five surgeries on his back.
Despite this, he expressed optimism about playing once a month through the majors in 2024. Although he did not commit to The Players, given his once-a-month schedule, it made sense to participate in the tour’s premier championship on a course where he has won twice.
Will he play this year?
The Valspar Championship comes after The Players. Woods participated in the Valspar Championship in 2018 and finished as the runner-up, but he hasn’t returned since then. The Houston Open, which he has never played, and the Texas Open, which he last played in 1996 on a sponsor exemption when he was 20 and just out of college, are the only two remaining tournaments.
However, Woods has a history of showing up at the Masters without much competition. The most notable instance was in 2022 when he played for the first time since crashing his car in Los Angeles and shattering bones in his lower right leg. Woods finished 47th that year.
He also went five months without playing in 2010 after his personal life came crashing down around him when he was exposed for having multiple extramarital affairs. He opened with a 68 and tied for fourth, five shots behind Phil Mickelson.
As a professional, Woods has never missed the cut at the Masters.
The Players Championship has a stacked field, beginning with the defending champion Scottie Scheffler. With Woods not playing, the last player currently in the field is Alexander Bjork.
TheGolfingHub on Twitter: “JUST IN: Tiger Woods is NOT in the field for #THEPLAYERS next week. @TWlegion pic.twitter.com/59oYFvjAwr / Twitter”
JUST IN: Tiger Woods is NOT in the field for #THEPLAYERS next week. @TWlegion pic.twitter.com/59oYFvjAwr