Nothing outside the main championships was guaranteed for Tiger Woods with regard to his schedule. And right now this is true, after news that Woods recently underwent a microdiscectomy procedure to relieve nerve pain in the lower back.
Apparently, Woods is already hitting the balls after going through the procedure on December 23. Still, Woods is out of the Farmers Insurance Open and also out of the Genesis Invitational, two tournaments he should be playing.
At 45, Woods was already in a dubious situation, having to deal with the back stiffness that was inevitable after his spinal fusion surgery in 2017. Now, the added wrinkle is recovering from the microdiscectomy procedure, which normally does not require an overnight stay. , but it clearly takes some time to recover.
We expected less before all this, and now that seems to be even more true as 2021 progresses. With that in mind, here’s a look at Woods’ programming possibilities.
Bay hill
The Arnold Palmer Invitational (March 4-7) would apparently be the first place for a comeback, and that would only be six weeks – which would seem like an exaggeration. Woods was very successful at Bay Hill, winning eight times, most recently in 2013. Since then, his best effort has been a draw for fifth place in 2018, when he fought briefly during the final round. He lost the tournament, however, in the past two years. In 2019, he complained of stiff neck; last year, he jumped because of back problems. Having missed the last two makes it easier to jump again. And playing off rough Bay Hill is not a bargain. This seems like a long shot.
Sawgrass
The Players Championship (March 11-14) was never a particularly good tournament for Woods, although he won it twice. Still, Tiger does not skip the main event on the PGA Tour unless he is physically incapable. Given that the return 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. That would have been a deterrent if everything had remained normal, but now it is a different possibility. There are eight weeks and three weeks before the Master’s. Having a game at home can be exactly what works best. The PGA National is a difficult place to work, but Woods may have no choice. The next week’s match play event is not guaranteed.
Austin Country Club
The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship (March 25-28) takes place two weeks before the Masters, and Woods likes that moment. He secured three rounds in the round-robin pool format, and anything beyond that is a bonus. Two years ago, Woods drew fifth at the Austin Country Club, losing in the quarterfinals. He won the Masters two weeks later. Here’s the problem: he may not qualify. Woods is ranked 44th in the world and falling. Can he stay in the top 64 at that point? Does he really want to risk the possibility of playing several games if he gets to the weekend? If you’re not eligible, the previous week’s Honda makes more sense. Crazy thinking: Woods does not qualify and appears at the opposite event in the Dominican Republic.
Augusta National
The week of April 3 is already in circulation. If Woods is unable to return before that, will he be able to return to the Masters? It is not an ideal place to return, but he has done it before: in 2010 and 2015, the last year having taken nine weeks to work on his game. Woods hates losing the Masters. The fact that he has a problem and seems determined to resolve it as soon as possible suggests that he will do everything he can to be in Augusta.
Innisbrook
Moving the Valspar Championship from March to three weeks after the Masters (April 29 to May 2) could help the Florida tournament win over Woods. Three years ago, in just his fourth game after spinal fusion surgery, he tied for second place, one shot behind winner Paul Casey on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook. The course is not far from home and is very suitable for Woods. There is also three weeks to go for the PGA Championship. The only question: does he prefer to play the following week? If you are unable to play the Masters, this event would be a privileged place to return, as there are more than three months to go.
Quail Hollow
The Wells Fargo Championship (6-10 May) looks like a proposition to / or to Woods, who won the tournament for the last time in 2007 and finished fourth in 2009. Since then, he has played the event only four times, with two missed cuts and a 55th tie in 2018. Quail Hollow Golf Club has gone through several changes that may not be suitable for Woods. This can keep you away. Then again, if he wants to play two weeks before the PGA Championship, that would be the choice, which means that he skips Valspar.
Kiawah Island
For the PGA Championship (May 13-17), it is very unlikely that we will see Woods doing what he did in 2019 – which does not happen before the tournament after the Masters. Last year, his only start before the PGA was Memorial, his first tournament after the end of the pandemic. In 2012, Woods shared the 36-hole advantage on Kiawah Island (South Carolina) with Vijay Singh and Carl Pettersson, only to hit 74-72 over the weekend and fall well off the pace. Rory McIlroy won the tournament by 8 strokes; Woods finished tied for 11th, with 11 strokes back.
Muirfield Village
Two weeks after the PGA, two weeks before the US Open. The Jack Nicklaus Memorial Tournament (June 3-6) in Dublin, Ohio, is the perfect location. Except for something unforeseen, it is difficult to see Tiger skipping a tournament that he has won five times.
Torrey Pines
The US Open returns to Torrey Pines in San Diego for the first time since Woods’ epic playoff victory over Rocco Mediate in 2008. This was his 14th major title, and an avalanche of things has occurred in the past 13 years. But Torrey must be more to Woods’ liking.
Royal St. George’s
It is difficult to see Woods playing in the Open. He is unlikely to play against Travelers a week after the US Open or against John Deere the week before The Open. That leaves only the Rocket Mortgage Championship in Detroit, a place he never touched. He hasn’t competed at The Open at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England, in 18 years. He missed the 2011 tournament due to an injury. He tied for fourth when Ben Curtis shocked the world in 2003. He entered just 2 behind Thomas Bjorn for the final round and missed a playoff by 2 strokes. (Woods, infamous, had a ball lost in the first hole of the tournament, his move to the rough was not found in the allotted time; he did a triple-bogey 7.)
TPC Southwind
Remember when Woods was one of the main competitors to play in the Olympics? At this time, a year ago, he occupied the sixth place in the world ranking, in a privileged position to be one of the first four Americans. Now he’s barely in the top 50 – where he needs to be if he wants to qualify for the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in Memphis. The WGC suits him perfectly, (it’s a week after the Olympic men’s 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 it be in the FedEx rating?
The FedEx Cup playoffs
Woods was unable to qualify for the Tour Championship in 2019, despite winning the Masters, nor was he able to do so last year, despite a victory in the Zozo Championship. In the past three years, he has shown an inclination to play with all of them, if possible.
This year, the Northern Trust (19-22 August) returns to Liberty National, from where it withdrew after a round in 2019; the BMW Championship (26-29 August) moves to a new location 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’ physical form, ability to practice and compete, will determine how much he plays in 2021. After losing two tournaments he should play, and possibly more, it seems like the maximum Woods could play before the Cup FedEx playoffs are 10 tournaments. It is difficult to see him playing more than that. And it may even be one or two less. As always, the focus will be on major championships. From there, how he feels and his motivation to advance in the FedEx Cup playoffs will likely determine how much we will see him.