Players praise Tiger for getting help and await his return
POTOMAC ( United States): Tiger Woods won’t be hosting this week’s Quicken Loans National as he continues treatment to manage medications following an impaired driving arrest, and players praised his commitment to getting better.
“It’s really cool to see what he’s doing in terms of he’s handling what he’s dealing with and he’s taking it seriously,” said 12th-ranked Justin Thomas, part of Sunday’s final US Open pairing two weeks ago.
“As someone who looks up to him and as a friend, I think that’s more impressive than coming here,” he said on Wednesday.
Former world No. 1 Woods, a 14-time Major champion whose charity foundation stages the National, was arrested on May 29 near his Florida home for impaired driving.
A breathalyser test showed no sign of alcohol but police video showed Woods struggling to answer questions and he said later he did not realise how prescription drugs he was taking might interact.
Last week, Woods said he had sought help to handle the medications he uses to ease back pain and sleep issues.
“I’m currently receiving professional help to manage my medications and the ways that I deal with back pain and a sleep disorder,” Woods tweeted.
World No. 17 Patrick Reed, who played under assistant captain Woods on last year’s triumphant US Ryder Cup squad, said everyone should understand Woods’s absence.
“Tiger’s here in spirit, you know. It’s his event,” Reed said. “It’s never going to hurt the golf tournament or hurt any event to have his name a part of it. Means a lot because of how much he means to golf.
“It’s one of those things. We all would love for him to be here, but at the end of the day, for him to put his foot down and go ahead and take care of himself and try to get better, that’s more important than playing golf or being here.”
Woods made a comeback from back surgery last December in the Bahamas but has played only twice this year, missing the cut at Torrey Pines and withdrawing from the European Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic in February.