Tiger Woods took an early exit last week from the Farmers Insurance Open due to an injury, and it may have been his last appearance in a tournament for some time. On Wednesday, Woods announced he would be taking some time away from tournament golf to rehab his latest injury and get his golf game back up to acceptable standards.
Tiger Woods taking indefinite leave of absence until his game is ‘acceptable’
After withdrawing last week, Woods said he won’t play again until his game has improved.
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Woods released a statement on his website:
Right now, I need a lot of work on my game, and to still spend time with the people that are important to me. My play, and scores, are not acceptable for tournament golf. Like I’ve said, I enter a tournament to compete at the highest level, and when I think I’m ready, I’ll be back.
Woods did not put a timeline on when he might return to competitive golf. He said he would like to play the Honda Classic -- which begins Feb. 26 -- but said he would only do so if his game was “tournament-ready.” That could mean Woods takes a two-week absence from the PGA Tour or he could be away for an extended period of time. The only timeline he mentioned was that he expects “to be playing again very soon.”
It’s been a rough 12 months for Woods. He was forced to withdraw from the Honda Classic last season and had back surgery not long after. He missed both the Masters and the U.S. Open before returning during the summer. He wasn’t a factor at the British Open, had to withdraw again at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and missed the cut at the PGA Championship. He took the rest of the summer off -- missing the playoffs and sitting out the Ryder Cup -- to get healthy.
That hasn’t translated into better success this season. Woods missed the cut at the Phoenix Open where he struggled mightily. Woods battled through almost unbelievable struggles with his short game and a brutal case of the yips. Woods has had rough stretches before, but his inability to hit basic chip and pitch shots on the green led to questions of whether this was a sign that the end of his career may come sooner rather than later.
Those short game issues could be the main reason why he’s taking a break from tournament play. Woods couldn’t have taken well to embarrassing himself on a national stage. That was all before the injury that forced him to withdraw last week. He said the injury that forced him out of action at the Farmers is not related to his previous back surgery.
Fixing the yips can be easier said than done. Woods’ game needs a lot of work to get back to near the level he set as a 14-time major champion. He’ll get that work now and away from the public eye. Or at least as far away as Tiger Woods can get.
While Woods sits out, the attention will soon turn to his status for the Masters in April.
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