DUBLIN, Ohio – Play again soon, Tiger.
Better sooner than later.
Sooner means one more tournament before the PGA Championship takes place in three weeks at Harding Park in San Francisco.
Tiger Woods is not going to play in the 3M Championship next week in Minnesota, so that means the WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational in two weeks in Memphis.
Betting against Woods has never been a good business decision, but if you don’t play in Memphis, bet on this: Woods has little or no chance of competing to win the PGA Championship.
Mark that in ink.
Woods’ four rounds at the Memorial Tournament this week at Muirfield Village (71, 76, 71, and 76, good to tie for 40th in some tough conditions) weren’t enough to prepare him for the season’s first major championship in a Harding Park Golf Course. Of course you will have narrow, thick, juicy and rough fairways.
San Francisco is also known for its cool, humid weather, which does not bode well for Woods’ problems.
Woods, according to someone in his inner circle, is “on the fence” about whether or not he will play the WGC event in two weeks.
When asked “how prepared” does it feel to enter the PGA Championship if he doesn’t play another tournament before Harding Park, Woods said, “Well, I think I need to do some work and clean that up. But as for my swing. It felt good. I was able to make good shots. Friday, [I] I was a little physically wrong, but overall during my first week back, there were a lot of positives. ”
Woods then went into his typical evasive mode when specifically asked about the need for more tournament replays.
“Competitive reps or more reps?” He said with a smile. “More reps, yes. I definitely need more reps. ”
The problem for Woods, as it’s always been since the last of his back surgeries, is how his 44-year-old body reacts this week and how he feels next week.
When Woods discovered him in the first round of the Memorial on Thursday, it had been 151 days since his last round of the PGA Tour, which dates back to February at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles, where he finished 68th and last among those who made the cut.
When will Woods play next?
This is a question that the world of golf will have to wait to be answered, because only Woods knows it, and will not say it until he wants to. You have until Friday afternoon to commit to Memphis.
The man who knows Woods’ game better than anyone, his caddy Joe LaCava, is traditionally a defender of more reps. But, based on her man’s tedious physical nature, she has tempered him a bit.
“I see it both ways: Most people would think that after five months off you need more reps to play in a major race, but sometimes you have to be careful not to wear yourself out,” LaCava told The Post about Woods. decision to play one more before PGA or rest.
“The key is to get home and see how you feel after a few days and then make a decision. You are not playing golf tournaments, you are not as smart as you want to be. It’s easy to practice at home and play rounds, but it’s not like being on the Tour when chips and putts count. ”
LaCava was encouraged by what he saw at Woods at the Memorial, calling it “not so bad after five months.”
“On Thursday, he looked close to mid-season form. On Friday, he didn’t feel so good and he got it, to his credit, to make the cut, and I like what I saw late. [Saturday] and above all [Sunday]LaCava said.
“Well, I competed and played again,” said Woods. “It’s been a while. It was nice getting my feet wet and competing and playing again. Difficult and difficult conditions to start my first week back, Thursday and Sunday. But it was good to have the feeling and flow of competing again. ”
What did you learn on your 72 holes this week?
“I didn’t get well,” said Woods. “I was not comfortable playing break [on the greens]. I’ve been in Florida playing Bermuda and seeing minimal rest, [and to] Come here and play 10, 12 foot rest was a little different and something I’ll have to get used to. ”
It won’t do that to stay in Florida for the next two weeks. She will only do it by competing again.
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