USA TODAY International Edition
Tracking Tiger: Here’s where he is likely to play this summer
Golfweek projects Tigers Woods’ schedule for rest of the year; just don’t hold them to it
When the PGA Tour shut down Friday the 13th of March due to the global pandemic, Tiger Woods had a head start on shelter- at- home measures.
The 15- time major winner was already in his oceanside mansion nursing a stiff back that popped up in mid- February when he shot 77 in the final round of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club north of Los Angeles and brought to an end a miserable week where he finished 68th and last.
His troublesome back led him in the subsequent weeks to bypass the WGCMexico Championship, Honda Classic, Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship.
Woods used those four weeks, and the time since COVID- 19 rocked the globe, to heal, get treatment, build his body back up and rest. On April 12 during a replay of his winning a fifth green jacket in 219, he said he “would have been good to go” for his title defense. He already had started practicing and playing rounds at The Medalist near his home. And tennis on his compound was a regular activity.
It was time well spent. This past Sunday, any worries about Tiger’s back were washed away by the unrelenting rain that fell on The Match: Champions for Charity at the Medalist. Woods was the calm through the storm, a steadfast force of superb golf form that brightened the cloudy day.
He swung with freedom, dialed up power when called upon and produced relentless stripe- show accuracy that missed zero of 14 fairways. His iron play was solid, his putting stroke intact. The guy in the red shirt and black shorts might have mishit two shots all day.
It was his first competitive action in 98 days. Now, after he and Peyton Manning held off Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady, 1 up, with the four raising $ 20 million for COVID- 19 relief efforts, the golf world awaits his next competitive shot.
But figuring out Woods’ playing schedule is a cottage industry in golf ’ s circles, with futility signs hanging in the windows. We are not in possession of crystal balls. We’ve taken stabs at it, and we’ve whiffed a lot.
Many of us took a shot April 17 when the PGA Tour announced its new condensed schedule for the rest of the season, which is set to restart June 11- 14 with the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas.
But back in April we weren’t sure about his back and overall health. Well, after seeing his nearly flawless work in Match II, and seeing how fit and strong he looked, we’re going to have another go at it.
Over the years, there have always been clues to help in the process. Woods circles the four majors every season, barring health issues. He also refrains from playing three consecutive weeks and rarely competes the week before a major.
So, to begin this latest exercise, lock in the three majors that have been postponed but remain on the 2020 calendar.
❚ PGA Championship at Harding Park on Aug. 6- 9 in San Francisco
❚ U. S. Open on Sept. 17- 20 at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York
❚ Masters on Nov. 12- 15 at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia
Another lock is the Hero World Challenge on Dec. 3- 6 at Albany in the Bahamas. He hosts the tournament, and it benefits his foundation.
Can’t see him not playing the Ryder Cup Sept. 25- 27 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, even with it being the week after the U. S. Open ( Woods is currently eighth in the U. S. standings).
The Golden Bear’s lure will reel in Woods, too, for the Memorial July 16- 19 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio.
That’s Jack Nicklaus’ annual gathering that Woods hasn’t skipped when healthy and has won a record five times.
The take here is Woods will play at least one of the first two events of the FedExCup Playoffs – the Northern Trust on Aug. 20- 23 at TPC Boston and the BMW Championship the following week at Olympia Fields in Illinois. If he qualifies, he’d likely play the Tour Championship on Sept. 3- 7 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
As for the WGC- FedEx St. Jude Invitational the week before the PGA Championship, our take slants no. He’s won 18 WGC events – the next highest WGC win total is six by Dustin Johnson – and Woods places these events on the importance scale along with the Players Championship and FedExCup Playoffs and just below the majors.
Still, despite four guaranteed rounds and tons of FedExCup and world rankings points, we don’t see Woods playing in the heat of Memphis and then flying to the cooler temps in San Francisco for the PGA in back- to- back weeks.
He’s unlikely to play the WGC- HSBC Champions on Oct. 29- Nov. 1 in Shanghai. Woods has only played it twice, the last time coming 10 years ago.
Count the Zozo Championship on Oct 22- 25 in Chiba, Japan, among the 50- 50 subset on the schedule. Woods won his record- tying 82nd Tour title last fall in the Zozo but traveling halfway across the globe and possible COVID- 19 protocols might lead to quarantine time. So we’ll go no here.
Also in the 50- 50 subset are the first two events of the restart. Yes, Woods must be chomping at the bit to get going and knows the sports world is starved for live action – just check out the TV ratings for Match II.
But we think he holds off and sits back and watches how things go in the Charles Schwab Challenge, which he’s played just once, a tie for fourth in 1997.
As for the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town in Hilton Head, South Carolina, the following week? Woods could take his yacht to the shores by Harbour Town Golf Links and fortify his own safety bubble even more. He’s only played there once, however, a tie for 18th in 1999. At best it’s 50- 50. We lean 51- 49 that he will play.
So, here’s our latest forecast. We have Woods playing nine events the rest of 2020 if there is no interruption in the schedule due to COVID- 19. Eight if he decides to wait to restart at The Memorial.
But don’t go betting anything on our projection.