10:02 am | March 4, 2019 | Go to Source | Author:
Tiger Woods has withdrawn from this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, citing a neck strain that he said he’s “had for a few weeks.”
Woods announced the news Monday afternoon via Twitter and said that he has “been receiving treatment, but it hasn’t improved enough to play. My lower back is fine, and I have no long-term concerns, and I hope to be ready for the Players.”
Since returning to competition in December of 2017 following a spinal fusion surgery in April of that year, Woods, 43, has not missed any tournament golf he was scheduled to play.
He competed 18 times on the PGA Tour last year, winning the Tour Championship for his 80th PGA Tour title. He also played in the Ryder Cup as well as the Hero World Challenge in December.
Woods has played three times in 2019, citing no injury issues during starts at the Farmers Insurance Open, Genesis Open and WGC-Mexico Championship, where he tied for 10th on Feb. 24.
He had previously announced this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational and next week’s Players Championship as his next starts, with no other tournament commitments to this point.
Woods, ranked 12th in the world, played a full schedule last year for the first time since 2015, which came after the first of what would turn out to be four back procedures. He contended at the last two majors, tying for sixth at The Open and finishing second at the PGA Championship.
Last year, Woods tied for fifth at the Arnold Palmer event, a tournament he has won eight times at the Bay Hill Club. He tied for 11th at the Players when it was contested in May.
Aside from the Players, Woods also had the possibility of the Valspar Championship in two weeks followed by the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship in three weeks as possible tournament starts prior to the Masters, which begins April 11.
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