By Rahul Banerji
Two-time winner Tiger Woods has pulled out of next week’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass citing a bad back, and the worry now is whether he will be ready to defend his Masters title in April.
Woods missed the ongoing next week’s Players Championship Arnold Palmer Invitational with a stiff back and has not hit a shot in anger since the Genesis Open last month.
The Masters – where Tiger is defending champion and has won four times in the past – tees off on April 9. At the Genesis, he finished well down the field and then opted out of the Palmer Invitational.
In a tweet posted on Friday, Tiger said, “It was not an easy decision, but I will not be attending @THEPLAYERSChamp.
“I have to listen to my body and properly rest when needed. My back is simply just not ready for play next week. I’m sad to miss one of the best events of the season, OUR Championship.”
Woods won the Players back in 2001 and then again in 2013.
‘Just not ready’
He also sought to play down any long-term apprehensions, as his agent put out a statement that said, “”Back just not ready. Nothing concerning, just not ready.”
At 11th in the world rankings, there also is an increasing possibility of Tiger Woods missing out on a Tokyo Olympic Games slot, though that will not be on his mind immediately, with the Masters almost exactly a month away.
Tiger, one of the nominees for the World Golf Hall of Fame this year, is currently tied with Sam Snead as all-time winners on the PGA Tour, which he achieved with the inaugural Zozo Championship in Japan last year.
He finished 68th at the Genesis event and had a tied ninth place at the Farmers Insurance Open.
In December, Tiger led Team USA to a nerve-shredding win over Ernie Els’ Internationals at the Presidents Cup in Melbourne, where he led from the front.
Last year’s Masters was his 15th major and came after four back surgeries and as many knee operations.
In other news …
Meanwhile, in other updates, Anirban Lahiri was unlucky to miss the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida where he finished one shot shy of the line.
At the Qatar Masters in Doha, two-time Indian Open winner Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia was in tied ninth place on 9-under 204 par with rounds of 67, 69 and 68, five behind day three leader Jorge Campillo of Spain.
In Selangor, at the rain-reduced Malaysia Open, Patna’s Aman Raj was the best-placed Indian amongst those surviving the cut in tied 26th place on 5-under par in the called-off third round after four holes on Saturday.
The tournament will be decided on the basis of 54-hole scores on Sunday.
Bangalore’s Chikkarangappa S. was T33 on 4-under also with 14 round holes to go, Shiv Kapur was 3-under after six holes and Rahil Ganjee 1-under after five.
Rashid Khan turned in a strong 67 in his second round and had only started off on round three when play was abandoned. He was 1-under after his opening hole.
Final run
Andrew Dodt of Australia leads on 13-under par, one shot ahead of China’s Liu Yanwei. They will be in the final group to tee off on Sunday.
The field will resume their third and final rounds on Sunday morning, the Asian Tour said.
“The tournament has been affected by several lengthy delays and suspensions due to inclement weather throughout the week,” said Fritz Katzengruber, Tournament Director, Asian Tour.
“As a result of the delays and the disruptions that we have suffered, we have taken the decision to reduce the tournament to 54 holes. The decision was made in the best interest of the tournament and our members,” Fritz added.
Also read: Tiger Woods lite is most definitely not Tiger Bright
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