Nothing outside of the big championships has ever been guaranteed for Tiger Woods when it comes to his schedule. And now it’s probably in the wake of the news that the Woods recently had a microdiscectomy procedure to relieve nerve pain in his lower back.
Apparently, Woods is already hitting balls after having the procedure on December 23rd. Still, Woods is out for the Farmers Insurance Open as well as the Genesis Invitational, two tournaments he was expected to play.
At 45, Woods was already in a dubious spot that had to deal with stiffness that was inevitable in the aftermath of his spine fusion surgery in 2017. Now the added wrinkle is recovering from the microdiscectomy procedure, which usually does not require an overnight stay. , but clearly takes some recovery time.
We expected less before all this, and it now appears to be even more the case as 2021 moves on. With that in mind, here’s a look at Woods’ scheduling possibilities.
Bay hill
The Arnold Palmer invitation (March 4-7) would apparently be the earliest place to return, and it’s only six weeks away – which seems like a long way off. Woods has had a lot of success on Bay Hill and has won eight times, most recently in 2013. Since then, his best attempt has been a fifth tie in 2018, when he briefly battled during the final round. However, he has missed the tournament for the past two years. In 2019, he complained of neck stiffness; last year he skipped due to back problems. If you missed the last two, it’s easier to skip them again. And playing outside of Bay Hill is no bargain. It turns out to be a long shot.
Sawdust
The Players Championship (March 11-14) has never been a very big tournament for Woods, even though he has won it twice. Yet Tiger does not skip the PGA Tour signing event unless he is physically incapable. Since the back procedure was on December 23, there is a glimmer of hope.
PGA National
The Honda Classic (March 18-21) is just a few miles from Woods’ home and he has played the event several times over the years. It would have been a no-go if everything had remained normal, but now it’s a clear possibility. It’s eight weeks away and three weeks before the Masters. Having a home game can be exactly what works best. PGA National is a tough place to work back, but Woods may not have a choice. Next week’s match event is no guarantee.
Austin Country Club
The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship (March 25-28) lasts two weeks ahead of the Masters, and Woods likes the timing. He guaranteed three rounds in the round robin pool format, and everything out there is a bonus. Two years ago, Woods finished fifth at Austin Country Club and lost in the quarterfinals. He won the Masters two weeks later. This is the problem: he may not qualify. Woods is ranked 44th in the world and is falling into a trap. Can he stay in the top 64 at that point? Does he even want to risk the possibility of playing multiple games if he makes it through the weekend? If that doesn’t qualify, the Honda made more sense last week. Crazy thought: Woods does not qualify, and shows up on the opposite occasion in the Dominican Republic.
Augusta National
The week of April 3 is now surrounded. If Woods could not make it before, can he return to the Masters? It’s not an ideal place to come back, but he’s already done it: in 2010 and 2015, the last year took nine weeks off to work on his game. Woods hates to miss the Masters. The fact that he had a problem and seemed to want to fix it as quickly as possible suggests that he would do anything in Augusta to be.
Innisbrook
The move from the Falsepar Championship from March to three weeks after the Masters (April 29 – May 2) could help the Florida Tournament land Woods. It was three years ago that, just in his fourth starting lineup after the spinal fusion operation, he was tied for second place, a shot behind Paul Casey, winner on the Copperhead track from Innisbrook. The track is not far from the house and is very suitable for Woods. It’s also three weeks before the PGA Championship. The only question: Would he rather play next week? If you can not play the Masters, this event will be the best place to return, as it is more than three months away.
Quail hollow
The Wells Fargo Championship (May 6-10) is a proposal for Woods, who last won the tournament in 2007 and then finished fourth in 2009. Since then, he has played the event only four times, with two missed tracks and ‘ a draw for 55th in 2018. Quail Hollow Golf Club has undergone several changes that may not suit Woods. It might keep him away. If he then wants to play two weeks before the PGA Championship, it is the choice, which means he skips Valspar.
Kiawah Island
For the PGA Championship (May 13-17), it is highly unlikely that we will see Woods do what he did in 2019 – which will not be played before the Masters tournament. Last year, his only start before the PGA was the Memorial, his first tournament after the hurricane of the pandemic. In 2012, Woods shared the 36-hole lead on Kiawah Island (South Carolina) with Vijay Singh and Carl Pettersson, only to shoot 74-72 at the weekend and fall far from the pass. Rory McIlroy won the tournament by 8 strokes; Woods finished tied for the 11th, 11 strokes back.
Muirfield village
Two weeks after the PGA, two weeks before the US Open. Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament (June 3-6) in Dublin, Ohio, is in the perfect spot. If you are not unforeseen, it’s hard to see Tiger skipping a tournament he’s won five times.
Torrey Pines
The U.S. Open returns to Torrey Pines in San Diego for the first time since Woods’ epic playoff game against Rocco Mediate in 2008. It was his 14th major title, and a deluge of things has occurred in the past 13 years. But Torrey should have Woods more to his liking.
Royal St. George’s
It’s hard to see Woods playing between the Opens. He probably won’t play the travelers the week after the US Open or the John Deere the week before the Open. That only leaves the Rocket Mortgage Championship in Detroit, a place he’s never played before. He has not been to The Open in Royal St. in 18 years. George’s in Sandwich, England, did not participate. He missed the 2011 tournament due to injury. He finished fourth when Ben Curtis shocked the world in 2003. He penetrated just 2 behind Thomas Bjorn on his way to the final round and missed a playoff with 2 strokes. (Woods, notoriously, had a lost ball on the very first hole of the tournament, and his disc in the innings was not found at the allotted time; he made a triple bow. 7.)
TPC Suidwind
Do you remember when Woods was the leading participant in the Olympics? A year ago, at this point, he ranked sixth in the world, in the best position as one of the top four Americans. Now he is barely in the top 50 – where he will have to be if he even competes for the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in Memphis wants to qualify. The WGC falls perfectly for him (it’s a week after the Men’s Olympic Golf Tournament), three weeks after the Open and two weeks before the FedEx Cup playoffs. The big questions: Will he be eligible? And where will he be in the FedEx position?
The FedEx Cup Playoffs
Woods was unable to qualify for the 2019 Tour Championship, despite winning the Masters, nor last year, despite a victory at the Zozo Championship. In the last three years, he has shown the tendency to play everyone when it comes to eligibility.
This year, the Northern Trust (August 19-22) returns to Liberty National, where it withdrew after one round in 2019; the BMW Championship (August 26-29) moves to a new venue at the Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland; and the tour championship (September 2-5) is back at East Lake in Atlanta, where Woods won in 2018 – and has yet to return.
The verdict
It’s the same story: Woods’ fitness, ability to train and compete will determine how much he will play in 2021. After missing two tournaments, he was expected to play, and possibly more, it looks like most Woods could play before the FedEx Cup playoffs are ten tournaments. It’s hard to see him play more than that. And it can be even one or two less. As always, the main championships will be focused. From there, he will likely feel how he feels and how he moves to progress in the FedEx Cup playoffs.