Tiger Woods’ decision to skip The Players Championship raised eyebrows among many, particularly as he’d previously outlined a best-case scenario of a tournament a month in 2024.
That decision opened the door to the possibility of him instead teeing it up at next week’s Valspar Championship, but the Friday deadline has passed without Woods being named in the field for the event at the Copperhead Course.
That means that the 15-time Major winner’s only appearance on the PGA Tour this year so far remains February’s Genesis Invitational, where he withdrew during the second round because of illness.
Woods’ decision to again opt out of the chance to play means the earliest he could return to action would be at the Houston Open at the end of the month, which falls just two weeks before the first Major of the year, The Masters at Augusta National.
However, an appearance at the Memorial Park Golf Course event seems unlikely as he has never played it before. That would leave the Valero Texas Open the week before The Masters, but Woods has only played that event once, after turning pro in 1996, meaning it seems almost certain that the next time we will see him in action is at the Major he has won five times previously.
An appearance at the Valspar Championship didn't seem out the question after Woods played at the tournament six years ago. Back then, he finished T2, just one shot behind winner Paul Casey. That also captured the imagination of the TV watching public, with the final round drawing the highest non-Major ratings in over five years.
Before Woods’ withdrawal from last month’s Riviera Country Club event with influenza, he also complained of back spasms. However, he did appear at the Seminole Pro-Member earlier this month, which suggests his decision not to sign up for the Valspar Championship is not related to injury.
Prior to the Genesis Invitational, the 48-year-old had only made two starts since undergoing a subtalar fusion procedure on his right ankle – November’s Hero World Challenge and the PNC Championship the following month.
Before the first of those events, Woods outlined his hopes for 2024, saying: “I think that best scenario would be maybe a tournament a month. I think that's realistic whether that's - you would have to start with maybe at Genesis and something in March near The Players.
Again, we have set up right now the biggest events are one per month. It sets itself up for that.”
