Tiger Woods has withdrawn from the Arnold Palmer Invitational this week at Bay Hill.
Woods made the announcement Monday via Twitter, citing a neck strain that is unrelated to his series of back injuries that threatened to end his brilliant playing career. Woods made it clear his hope is to return to action at next week’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, even if fans were alarmed.
Woods said he has “been receiving treatment, but it hasn’t improved enough to play,” adding, “My lower back is fine, and I have no long-term concerns, and I hope to be ready for the Players.”
Last year, Woods tied for fifth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, an event he’s won eight times.
Woods, 43, returned to competitive golf in December 2017 after April spinal fusion surgery, the fourth procedure he’s had on his back, and he hasn’t missed a tournament round he was scheduled to play since. He played in 18 tournaments last year, winning the Tour Championship for his 80th PGA Tour title, and he played in the Ryder Cup. He has elevated his world ranking to No. 12.
Including his own event in December, the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, Woods has played three times in the 2019 season — the Farmers Insurance Open, Genesis Open and WGC-Mexico Championship, where he tied for 10th on Feb. 24.
Woods played a full schedule last year for the first time since 2015 and contended in the last two majors, tying for sixth at the British Open and finishing second at the PGA Championship.
Woods recently announced he was going to play Bay Hill and The Players Championship before deciding on where to play afterward. Assuming his neck strain isn’t serious or a lingering issue, with this week now off his schedule, it’s possible Woods could add the Valspar Championship, at which he finished runner-up last year.
It’s been presumed that Woods would skip the Valspar and play the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship in three weeks before the Masters, which begins April 11. Now it’s possible he might play both if healthy.