Woods to end layoff, play in Memorial
Quest for record of 83 Tour wins resumes next week
DUBLIN, Ohio — The PGA Tour returned five weeks ago with some of its strongest fields. Now it gets its biggest star.
Tiger Woods announced Thursday on Twitter that he will play next week at the Memorial at Muirfield Village, a tournament he has won five times, as he goes after his record 83rd career victory on the PGA Tour.
“I’ve missed going out and competing with the guys and can’t wait to get back out there,” said Woods, who traditionally has played in the tournament staged by Jack Nicklaus.
It will end a five-month break from competition for Woods. He previously played Feb. 16 at the Genesis Invitational in Pacific Palisades, Calif., where he shot 76-77 at chilly Riviera Country Club to finish alone in last place.
Woods said he felt stiffness in the cold weather. He chose not to go to Mexico City for a World Golf Championships event, then skipped three consecutive tournaments in Florida before golf was halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
His only competition was an exhibition match May 24 at his home course in Florida, with Peyton Manning as his partner against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady.
The tour resumed June 11 at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas, and most weeks brought some level of speculation that Woods was going to play. He had contemplated coming this week to Muirfield Village, which also is the site of the Workday Charity Open, a one-time event that replaces the canceled John Deere Classic.
That will give him at least one start, and possibly two if he plays a WGC tournament in Tennessee, before heading into the first major of a reconfigured year.
Woods had said in April he was ready to go for the Masters until it was postponed because of the coronavirus. The Masters now is scheduled for Nov. 12-15, with Woods as the defending champion.
The PGA Championship is Aug. 6-9 at Harding Park in San Francisco, where Woods won a WGC event in 2005. The U.S. Open at Winged Foot is scheduled for Sept. 17-20.
Woods has played only three times this season on the PGA Tour, starting with his record-tying 82nd victory at the Zozo Championship in Japan.
Morikawa bounces back
Collin Morikawa, playing his first PGA Tour event at Muirfield Village, shot a 7-under 65 for a oneshot lead over Adam Hadwin at the Workday Charity Open.
Morikawa missed the first cut of his PGA Tour career two weeks ago. His 22 consecutive cuts to start his career are three short of the standard set by Tiger Woods.
“It’s a beautiful track. It’s a very tough course, obviously, but you just have to map your way around it,” Morikawa said.
Phil Mickelson made plenty of noise, at least for nine holes. Lefty was 4 under at the turn but shot 41 on the back for a 73.
Brooks Koepka played for the first time since withdrawing from the Travelers Championship two weeks ago after his caddie tested positive for the coronavirus. He used PGA Tour winner Marc Turnesa as a caddie and opened with a 74.
Positive but playing
Dylan Frittelli, Denny McCarthy and Nick Watney are playing Muirfield Village despite having tested positive for COVID19. Each went through mandatory self-isolation for 10 days. And then they tested positive again.
The tour said the CDC advisers indicated the nasal swab tests are picking up what amounts to a dead virus that isn’t contagious. Because the three players met other criteria — such as 10 days since the symptoms first appeared and three days passing since recovering — they were allowed to play.
They were paired together, but not allowed in the clubhouse or fitness trailer. They ate lunch in a separate room.