[Golf Topic] 'Waist Injury' Woods "Will Not Participate in The Players Championship"

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] ○…The 'resurrected golf emperor' Tiger Woods (USA, photo) will not participate in The Players Championship, known as the '5th major.'

On the 7th (Korean time), the US ESPN reported, "Woods will not be able to participate in next week's PGA Tour The Players Championship due to a back injury." This marks his third consecutive withdrawal from tournaments, following the World Golf Championships (WGC) Mexico Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg (USA), stated, "The back condition is not expected to last long." The possibility of defending his Masters title in April remains open.

Woods competed twice this year: at the Farmers Insurance Open in January (tied 9th) and the Genesis Invitational in February (68th place). He has won The Players Championship twice, in 2001 and 2013, and missed the tournament four times in 2008, 2014, 2016, and 2017. The Players Championship, opening on the 12th at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, is a highly prestigious event. This year, the total prize money is $15 million, exceeding that of the four major championships.

Woods has already undergone four back surgeries: once in 2014, twice in 2015, and once in 2017. In addition to his back, he has a history of various injuries including his neck, knees, ankles, and Achilles tendon. Before the Masters, which begins on April 9, he has three tournaments left: the Valspar Championship, the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play, and the Valero Texas Open. He is expected to participate in either the Valspar Championship or the Dell Technologies Match Play before the Masters.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.