Woods deals with back issues

TIGER Woods is plenty rested going into the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Whether he’s ready is day to day. Woods stopped hitting full shots on the back nine of Liberty National on Wednesday during his pro-am round for The Northern Trust, a precautionary move during a year in which he repeatedly has said he can’t always predict how his back is going to feel.

“Just feeling stiff, being smart about it,” Woods said. “As I said to you guys all year, this is how it is. Some days I’m stiffer than others. Yesterday I was out there hitting it great. Today I’m stiff. Hopefully, I’m not that way tomorrow.”

He also didn’t sound overly concerned.

Woods is willing to accept that a 43-year-old back that has gone through four surgeries in the last five years is not going to feel like it once did. He also looked back to the spring, when he took an extra week off in March, and then chipped and putted when he arrived at Augusta National for nine holes. And by the end of the week, he was the Masters champion.

As much as Woods has tried to take time off, he can only hope he faces the busiest part of the year.

The Northern Trust begins the lucrative FedEx Cup playoffs, starting with two tournaments with $9.25 million purses, ending at the Tour Championship for the top 30 players competing for the $15 million prize.

Woods is at No. 28, the lowest position of the four major champions, primarily because he hasn’t played all that much. Since he won a fifth green jacket at the Masters, he has played just four times, three of them majors. /