Tiger Woods will not compete in this year’s Players Championship, the 50th edition of the event. No announcement was made but Woods’ name did not appear on the initial field list when it was released after the 5 p.m. ET deadline to commit to the tournament.
Woods, who said last year that he hoped to play once a month on Tour in 2024, has played one tournament this season. He made it through 24 holes of the Genesis Invitational before withdrawing in the second round because of “flu-like symptoms.”
The 2001 and 2013 Players champion underwent ankle surgery following the ’23 Masters, from which he withdrew prior to Sunday’s play. Woods has made only six PGA Tour starts since the beginning of 2021 and has three WD’s and a missed cut.
Woods did, however, compete in Monday’s Pro-Member tournament at Seminole Golf Club in South Florida.
“Everybody that watched him play [Monday] at Seminole said he just hit it absolutely down the middle of the golf course,” Brad Faxon said this week on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio. “He hit a 5-wood at the par-5 15th and I guess he flew it about 256 yards in the air and it stopped 1 inch from the hole for a tap-in eagle, so people were just like in awe to be able to see him play.”
Woods, who reportedly eschewed a cart at Seminole, tied for 33rd in the net division and tied for 44th in the gross division alongside partner and PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh.
After The Players, there are three PGA Tour events — Valspar Championship, Texas Children’s Houston Open, Valero Texas Open — before the Masters Tournament. Woods competed in the 2018 Valspar, tying for second in his only appearance there. He finished third in the 1996 Texas Open and has never played the Houston Open.
