Managing his body is something Tiger Woods has repeatedly said during his latest comeback, and that management led him to withdraw from the first leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs on Friday morning.
Following an opening-round 4-over par 75, Woods arrived at Liberty National Golf Club on Friday morning three hours ahead of his afternoon tee time, but decided to withdraw after he determined he wouldn’t be able to play due to a mild oblique strain.
“Due to a mild oblique strain that led to pain & stiffness, I have to withdraw from The Northern Trust,” Woods said in a statement. “Went for treatment early Friday morning, but unfortunately I’m still unable to compete. I’d like to thank the fans for their support and remain hopeful I can compete next week. “
Due to a mild oblique strain that led to pain & stiffness, I have to withdraw from The Northern Trust. Went for treatment early Friday morning, but unfortunately I’m still unable to compete. I’d like to thank the fans for their support and remain hopeful I can compete next week.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) August 9, 2019
Woods complained of stiffness following both his Wednesday pro-am round as well as his first round of tournament play, but made no mention of the oblique issue until he dropped out of the tournament.
Woods said he was hopeful that he would be able to play in next week’s BMW Championship at Medinah, outside of Chicago.
This week’s Northern Trust is Woods’ first tournament on the PGA Tour since last month’s Open Championship where he missed the cut. This was Woods’ first withdrawal during an event since 2015 and his first WD post-spinal fusion surgery.
Woods is expected to fall outside of the top-30 in the FedEx Cup standings, meaning he will have to compete and play well at the BMW Championship if he hopes to defend his win at last year’s Tour Championship.
