[Golf Topic] Why Woods Postponed PGA Tour Participation: "Outside the House Is Dangerous"

Tiger Woods is practicing a round ahead of the Memorial Tournament. Dublin, Ohio, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Getty Images

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] ○…"It's dangerous outside the house."

The "resurrected golf emperor" Tiger Woods (USA) held a press conference on the 15th (Korean time) at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, USA, ahead of the PGA Tour Memorial Tournament (total prize money $9.3 million), explaining the reason for his delayed participation in the PGA Tour. He said, "I always play surrounded by many people, including family and acquaintances, which is a dangerous situation," and explained, "I decided it was better to practice at home and maintain social distancing."

Woods is making a comeback after a long 5-month break since the Genesis Invitational in February. The Memorial Tournament initially planned to allow galleries up to 20% of maximum capacity, but recently changed back to "no spectators" considering the spread of COVID-19 in the United States. AFP reported, "He could have returned to the tour earlier, but after watching several tournaments since the 2020 season resumed, he decided on the timing of his comeback."

It is interesting that Woods expressed confidence about his back condition, saying, "It has improved a lot compared to the Genesis, and now there is no problem with training or participating in tournaments." In October last year, he won the Zozo Championship, which is included in the 2020 season, reaching Sam Snead's (USA) career total of 82 wins, and this time he is challenging the PGA Tour record for most wins (83 wins). He raised expectations, saying, "Today, I had a fun practice round with Justin Thomas."

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