Tiger Woods looks set to delay his PGA Tour comeback and miss The Players next week, with the former world No 1 unsure when he will return to action.
Woods has not featured in an official event since missing the cut at The Open last July and has played a limited schedule in recent seasons, with the 15-time major champion undergoing surgery in September to alleviate “back spasms and pain”.
The 49-year-old was due to return at The Genesis Invitational last month, only to withdraw from the event after the death of his mother Kultida the previous week left him “just not ready” to compete.
Tiger Woods paid an emotional tribute to his mother and thanked the players at The Genesis Invitational for their support
Woods was expected to compete on the PGA Tour ahead of The Masters, live from April 10-13 on Sky Sports, although admitted his mother’s passing and commitments with the PGA Tour’s policy board have made that appear unlikely.
“This is the third time I’ve touched a club since my mom passed, so I haven’t really gotten into it,” Woods said after Jupiter Links’ defeat to Atlanta Drive GC on Tuesday.
Highlights of the TGL match between Jupiter Links and Atlanta Drive, where Woods’ side ended their regular season with defeat
“My heart is not really into practising right now. I’ve had so many other things to do with the [PGA] Tour and trying to do other things. Once I start probably feeling a little bit better and start getting into it, I’ll start looking at the schedule.”
Woods sat out the Hero World Challenge in December – an event he usually plays – because he was “not tournament sharp” to feature, then used a golf cart while competing alongside son Charlie in their play-off defeat at the PNC Championship later that month.
Charlie Woods made a hole-in-one in front of his dad Tiger during the PNC Championship
The five-time Masters champion was seen playing on Monday at the Seminole Pro-Member – a long-running event at Seminole Golf Club in south Florida – alongside former PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh, Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and former NBA pro Shane Battier.
The field for The Players will be confirmed on Friday, ahead of the tournament being live from March 13-16 on Sky Sports. Should Woods elect to skip all of the PGA Tour’s Florida Swing, it would leave him likely going into the opening men’s major of the year without any tournament golf in 2025.
Tiger’s past record at The Players
Woods played every edition of The Players from his debut in 1997 to 2007, claiming a one-shot win in 2001, then featured each year from 2009 to his two-shot victory in 2013.
He missed his title defence a year later through injury and has only made three starts since, finishing tied-30th in 2019 – a month after he won The Masters for a fifth time.
Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay and Ewen Murray take a look back at Woods’ iconic putt from The Players in 2001, one of the most memorable in the tournament’s history
Woods was part of the field in the 2020 contest, cancelled after the opening day due to the Covid-19 pandemic, then has missed each of the last four editions due to injury.
Sky Sports is offering extended live coverage of The Players, where the majority of the world’s top 50 will compete for a bumper $25m prize purse and $4.5m first prize, with over 60 hours of live content and action to enjoy from Tuesday to Sunday of tournament week.
Highlights from the final round of The Players in 2024, where Scottie Scheffler defended his title
‘Live from The Players’ shows begins from 1pm on Tuesday and Wednesday, with news and interviews ahead of the event, before wall-to-wall coverage of the opening round beginning on Thursday at 11.30am.
Coverage also begins at 11.30am on the Friday and follows the action from before the opening tee shot until after the close of play, with the action then live from 1pm on both days over the weekend.
Who will win The Players? Watch from March 13-16 live on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.
