Tiger Woods’ latest ongoing battle with back issues has left him backing out of next week’s PGA Tour Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club.
The 14-time major champion’s participation was iffy even from the time he announced his optimistic intentions months ago, and it was cast with more doubt after he pulled out of an event in Dubai two weeks ago. A three-paragraph announcement posted on his website early Friday morning, about 10 hours before the official field was announced, made it official.
He added that recent back spasms as they relate to three back surgeries since 2014 would preclude the former No. 1 golfer in the world from also playing in the Feb. 23-26 Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida near his home in Jupiter Beach.
“My doctors have advised me not to play the next two weeks, to continue my treatment and to let my back calm down,” Woods said.
“This is not what I was hoping for or expecting. I am extremely disappointed to miss the Genesis Open, a tournament that benefits my foundation, and The Honda Classic, my hometown event. I would like to thank Genesis for their support, and I know we will have an outstanding week.”
Woods followed the announcement on Twitter, linking to the story, and adding: “Really looking forward to seeing everyone @genesisopen open next week, unfortunately I won’t be able to play.”
Woods will still appear at the Pacific Palisades event earlier in the week — the tournament proceeds benefit his Tiger Woods Foundation and Learning Center in Anaheim, and he wants to do as many meet-and-greets as possible with sponsors.
Mike Antolini, the Genesis Open tournament director as well as vice president of championships for the Tiger Woods Foundation, said Friday the “most important thing for him is to get healthy and we certainly support Tiger in that decision. We are still excited he will join us for the week, and the field still has 28 of the top 50 players committed with a major spotlight shined on Riviera. We always want Tiger to tee it up, but his connection to this tournament as a host is something that won’t be lessened because of this.”
Those 28 who officially entered by the 5 p.m. Friday deadline begins with current world No. 1 Jason Day, current U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson (4) and former Riviera champions Adam Scott (7), Bubba Watson (13), Phil Mickelson (22). Scott won in 2005, Watson is the defending champion as well as winning in 2014 and Mickelson won back to back in 2008 and ‘09. Watson and Mickelson are also former Masters champions.
More ranked stars in the field include Hideki Matsuyama (5), 2015 Masters and U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth (6), Sergio Garcia (9), 2013 U.S. Open champ Justin Rose (12), 2011 Masters champ Charl Schwartzel (26), and 2003 U.S. Open winner and 2018 Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk (41). Nineteen of the top 30 are entered, but unlike last year, there’s no No. 2 Rory McIlroy.
Past Riviera champions James Hahn (2015), John Merrick (2013), Bill Haas (2012), Aaron Baddeley (2011), Steve Stricker (2010), Charles Howell III (2007) and Ernie Els (1999) are also in.
Among the four exemptions are Sam Saunders, grandson of the late Arnold Palmer.
Woods’ online post says any playing beyond March will be determined “at a later date after his back is reassessed.” He has been targeting an appearance at the Masters from April 6-9, an event he has won four times but not in the past 12 years.
The 41-year-old, who has fallen to a No. 674 world ranking, committed months ago to playing the Genesis Open, one of four events he locked into during a five-week period from mid-January to late February. Yet he missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines on Jan. 28 after shooting a 76 and 72, then flew 17 hours to Dubai for a seven-figure appearance fee and withdrew Feb. 3 because of back spasms, a day after he shot a five-over 77.
It turns out he will have only three rounds of competition in that time frame out of a possible 16.
Nick Faldo, the 1997 Riviera winner and CBS/Golf Channel analyst, said on the air Friday that after seeing Woods play recently at Torrey Pines, “he was having to compensate a lot for the back … that gave us some true insight as to how poor the back is. As a golfer, everyone wants him to come out and play. But he’s the one who has to look in the mirror and ask himself how serious this has become.”
Woods, who also had four left knee operations from 1994 to 2008, said in an interview last week: “I feel good, not great. I don’t think I will ever feel great, because (of the surgeries). I’m always going to be a little bit sore. As long as I can function, I’m fine with that.”
Playing at Riviera has not been a priority in the past decade for Woods. Even with 106 career pro wins, 72 on the PGA Tour, he has never won on the course. The then-named Nissan Open gave the Western High of Anaheim 18-year-old his first tour exemption in 1992 — he made the cut but didn’t play the weekend, citing the flu.
His best Riviera finish was a tie for second in 1999. He was also second in 1998 after a playoff with Billy Mayfair, but the event was at Valencia Country Club.
Woods played the Riviera event 11 times, last in 2006, leaving after two rounds. Again, it was the flu.
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