By ANTHONY SCHIFANO
On the brink of his third withdrawal in his last eight PGA Tour events, Tiger Woods announced Feb 11 that he will take a break from the Tour until he is “tournament-ready.”
Just 11 holes into his first round at The Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Feb 5, Woods withdrew when lower back pain became prevalent in his swing, he was 2 over par at the time. The week before, at The Waste Management Phoenix Open, Woods missed the cut by 12 shots. He shot a second round 82, which was the highest score he ever posted as a professional.
“My play, and scores, are not acceptable for tournament golf,” Woods said in his statement on his website. “Like I’ve said in the past, I enter a tournament to compete at the highest level, and when I think I’m ready, I’ll be back.”
Woods says that the back pain that forced him to withdraw last week is not related to his leave or the back surgery he had last March. Beyond Torrey Pines, Woods has not announced a comeback to the game of golf. The last three years he made a start at the Honda Classic, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fl. Being a resident in close by Jupiter, Fl., Woods said he would like to play the tournament.
“I am committed to getting back to the pinnacle of my game,” he said further in his statement. “I’d like to play the Honda Classic- it’s a tournament in my hometown and it’s important to me- but I won’t be there until I am tournament-ready.”
Since recording five wins and earning the honor of PGA Tour Player of the Year in 2013, Tiger Woods has recorded only one top 25 in 10 full-field PGA Tour starts. The former world No. 1 has plummeted all the way to No. 62 in what world. This is his worst ranking since 1996, which was his rookie year.
Tiger Woods’ Career After 20 Years
This is Tiger Woods’ 20th year on the Tour and he has changed the game of golf for all golfers, regardless of their skill.
“Tiger really needs this break,” Toby Schwartz, 21, student at Lafayette College said. “His problem is more than just his golf swing, it’s all mental.”
The deadline for players to commit to The Honda Classic is Feb. 20 and the future for Tiger Woods is uncertain. His lack of mental toughness that has proven to be an asset to him in the past has recently plagued him.
Good story. I really like how you added a storify to your story. One way you could continue this story is find out how fans feel about him taking a break, or a story on when he comes back and how he may be affected depending on how long his break is.
Great article,easy read and great input. I think maybe a couple links would have helped the piece and there were a few errors missed in the editing process.