This week’s Players Championship will again be taking place without Tiger Woods in the field, but why is the two-time winner not playing at TPC Sawgrass this year?
Woods last took part in The Players back in 2019 when he finished T30, and he has again opted not to tee it up in the PGA Tour’s flagship event in what is the final year of his exemption.
Winning his 15th Major at the 2019 Masters gave Woods a five-year pass into The Players, but he has not once taken that up due to his injury problems.
So from now on, under the current criteria Woods would have to win a PGA Tour event, pick up a 16th Major title, or finish in the top 125 of the previous season’s FedEx Cup points list to make a return to The Players
The 48-year-old withdrew from February’s Genesis Invitational through illness, but exact details have not been released and his plans for a return are shrouded in secrecy.
Time is now ticking down until The Masters, with Augusta set to be Woods’ April tournament stop – but as yet even if he does head down Magnolia Lane he’ll do so with just those 24 holes of tournament golf at Riviera under his belt.
Whether Woods has suffered another injury setback or he’s just taking his time and targeting The Masters remains to be seen.
His choice not to participate in The Players this year may have broader consequences for his future participation in the event, potentially signaling that he has concluded his competition at TPC Sawgrass.
There is discussion about implementing a new exemption for previous champions at TPC Sawgrass, but PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan does not believe that Woods would agree to it.
Despite having won 82 PGA Tour events, Woods is considered a major recipient of a new exemption. Monahan believes that convincing Woods, who serves as a Player Director on the PGA Tour’s Policy Board, to accept the exemption would be a challenging task.
Monahan stated that he believes everyone is familiar with Tiger’s strong desire to qualify for every competition based on his character.
However, I believe that as your organization progresses and develops, when considering how to cater to and please a passionate group of fans, these conversations will probably be conducted at the policy board meeting, and I am certain we will have that conversation. However, persuading him would prove to be the most difficult task.
The absence of Woods in the tournament this week is impacting the players at Sawgrass, including defending champion Scottie Scheffler who is concerned about the opportunity to play with Tiger in the future.
Scheffler expressed his desire to have a crystal ball to know the number of opportunities left, mentioning that the player they were discussing is the best he has ever seen. It is a unique experience to be able to stand and walk alongside him and compete in the same golf tournament.