Tiger Woods isn't sure if his schedule will be free next week, or if he'll be playing in The Honda Classic, which will unfold not too far from his Jupiter, Fla., home at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens.
Woods wants to play in the tournament, but his response to the question of whether he'd play was a classic case of fence-sitting.
“It’d be a great sign if I do play,” he said Tuesday, “and I think it’d be a smart sign if I don’t play.”
On one hand, Woods said it would be good for him to play in back-to-back weeks in events held on opposite coasts.
On the other hand, Woods said he would doing the right thing if he deemed his back was sore after two or more rounds at Riviera Country Club.
Woods admitted he was sore after his T-23 effort at Torrey Pines three weeks ago in the Farmers Insurance Open. But it wasn't his back bothering him. His glutes were activated aplenty. It was just getting around on a hilly pair of golf courses.
“My feet,” he said. “I’m not used to walking. I’m used to being in a cart playing 36 holes. It’s a good sore, it’s just different.”
Woods played in The Honda Classic in 2012, 2013 and 2014, but he wasn't able to play in any of the last three years because of back problems. Woods and his camp would typically give Honda tournament director Ken Kennerly a good heads up on his intention to play, but Woods needs to see where his back and the rest of his body are after this week. If Honda isn't a go, there's a chance Woods could lay up for a week at his house and then make the trek over to Tampa and play in the Valspar Championship the next week as a way of notching another start. After that, it would seem logical to think Woods' 2018 schedule brings him to Orlando for the Arnold Palmer Invitational and then down Magnolia Lane for the Masters in April.
