Tiger Woods plans appear to change as The Players Championship field confirmed

The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass has confirmed its 144-player lineup with the likes of Rory McIlroy and defending champion Scottie Scheffler – but there is no Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods has decided not to participate in The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass this month.

It was widely expected that the golf icon would compete in the 50th anniversary of this prestigious tournament, especially with The Masters coming up in just a month. Woods, who won the event in 2001 and 2013, stated in December that he plans to compete in one tournament per month as he makes a comeback and deals with ankle and back issues.

He had to pull out of the Genesis Invitational last month after playing only 24 holes because he was sick. The Players Championship appeared to be the most suitable option for his return, especially since he opted out of participating in the Arnold Palmer Invitational happening this week. Woods specifically mentioned the tournament when talking about his possible schedule for 2024 last December, and his former teammate from Team USA Ryder Cup, Steve Stricker, seemed to suggest that Woods intended to be at Sawgrass this week.

Stricker spoke with Golf Digest about his plans to convince Woods to participate in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He mentioned seeing Woods at the Players tournament the following week and expressed his hope to play a practice round with Woods. Stricker also indicated that he intends to ask Woods about playing in the Zurich Classic.

“Nonetheless, it seems that those initial plans have been altered as Woods is not participating in the 144-player lineup for the upcoming tournament starting on Thursday, March 14, with a prize of $25 million. If Woods wants to compete before The Masters, his next opportunity would be at the Valspar Championship, which is a less high-profile event taking place the following week.”

The Houston Open and Valero Texas Open are also part of the PGA Tour schedule before the first major tournament of the year begins at Augusta on April 11.

Woods, who recently played in the Seminole Pro-Member event, stated his plan to only participate in major tournaments and select prestigious events in 2023, mentioning The Players Championship as a possible tournament he may consider playing in.

“I believe it would be ideal to have a tournament once a month. I consider this to be a feasible plan,” Woods said before his return to competitive golf in the Bahamas in December.

“It could begin with the Genesis tournament and then another event in March around the time of the Players Championship.” Once again, we currently have the largest events scheduled once a month. This makes it easier to prepare for them.

I have to ensure that I am prepared for all of them. I believe that this week will be a significant milestone in that process. After finishing all 72 holes at the Hero World Challenge, which was his first tournament in 10 months following an ankle injury at The Masters in April, Woods had some good news for his fans.

He reiterated his plan to compete every month starting from the New Year. When asked if he would follow through with his pre-tournament statements, he confirmed, saying he believed he could establish a consistent routine. “I believe that taking a few weeks off to rest, followed by a week of training, will allow me to get back into my rhythm.

It’s just a matter of improving my physical condition. I feel like my skills are not far behind, but I need to improve my fitness level.”

The Players Championship remains filled with top players even in the absence of Woods. Scottie Scheffler aims to retain his title, with other past champions like Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, and Rickie Fowler also in the mix.

Full 144-player field for The Players Championship