Tiger Woods on Friday announced that back spasms have forced him to withdraw from two upcoming tournaments, the Genesis Open and The Honda Classic.
“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 on his website.
“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.”
This latest setback comes exactly one week after Woods was forced to pull out of the Dubai Classic with back spasms, and yet another troubling sign for the 41-year-old 14-time major champion.
When Woods was sidelined last season during his recovery from multiple back surgeries, the golf world wondered whether he would ever be able to really compete again. Then, when he announced his return he decided to take on an ambitious schedule, which featured four tournaments in five weeks and would require several long flights.
As it turned out, Woods missed the cut at the first of those four tournaments (the Farmers Open), and pulled out of Dubai. Now he is sidelined yet again, and offered no timeline for when he might return.
On some level, this latest news shouldn’t come as a major shock. Earlier this week, Woods said he always feels sore, and will probably never really feel great again.
It’s almost like a 41 year old, returning from back injury, playing 4 times in 5 weeks, and a 16 hour flight to Dubai was a poor strategy
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) February 10, 2017
Since the beginning of 2014, Tiger Woods has more back surgeries (3) than top-10s (1).
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) February 3, 2017
If anything, that this latest setback still feels like such a disappointment reveals much more about the role Woods continues to have in the golf world. He hasn’t been relevant for years now, and yet every time he returns news outlets — including this one — are quick to write about how “Tiger is back!” and speculate whether he might be able to win a tournament. And then a setback occurs and the speculation turns to whether or not he might ever compete again.
It’s a predictable cycle at this point, and yet because Tiger Woods is Tiger Woods, it’s hard to believe it will change anytime soon.
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