Tiger's withdrawal: A setback or the end?
Not again.
That was what many golf fans thought when hearing that Tiger Woods had withdrawn from the Dubai Desert Classic early Friday morning, citing back spasms suffered Thursday evening after dinner.
"He says it's not the nerve, but back spasm, and he can't get the spasms to calm down," said Woods' agent Mark Steinberg. "He can move around, but he can't make a full rotation in his swing."
The 41-year-old returned to competitive golf last week at the Farmers Insurance Open following a 17-month layoff after undergoing multiple back surgeries.
Woods stated his goal is to build toward the second weekend in April, and when he decided to play four events in five weeks, it seemed an optimistic approach. Now that goal is in doubt with this recent development.
So, is this just a setback for Woods or the end of line?
Just a setback
Ambitious schedule
Tiger hasn't yet adapted to his older self. He kept the same schedule he's always used, and played on tough courses against elite fields and difficult conditions. Woods would've been better served by playing easier tracks like Phoenix or Hawaii, not a cool Torrey Pines with U.S. Open-like rough. After the Honda Classic, it's likely he'll play Bay Hill, and then it's Augusta National. When baseball players return from the disabled list, they tend to play a few games in the minors before coming back to the major leagues.
The weather
A cool and wet Torrey Pines produced some of the worst weather conditions in Southern California while Dubai had unpredictable weather on Friday, with high winds.
Strong winds at the #DDC17 knocked trees over and sent sand soaring into the air. We've yet to hear of any flying đs https://t.co/JIbXAAjwnA pic.twitter.com/bwnnFdSrhF
â Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) February 3, 2017
With a bad back, Woods may have decided after a 5-over-par 77 on Thursday that he might as well return home to Florida to rest up and get ready for the Genesis Open and the Honda Classic.
Commercial fight
A 1-percent problem, but nonetheless a problem for someone used to his own private jet. Woods had to take a commercial flight to Dubai to avoid a layover while protesting was occurring at LAX over the recent immigration ban.
It's the end of the line
Body language
In his prime, Tiger may not have always wanted to be at a tournament, but you wouldn't have known. Woods always seemed determined to crush the field and could still take pleasure in shots executed. That didn't seem the case in Dubai, where he looked disinterested and slow-moving around the course.
Injuries
| Date | Injury/Surgery |
|---|---|
| Dec. 1994 | Surgery to remove two benign tumors and scar tissue in his left knee |
| Dec. 2002 | Surgery to remove fluid inside and around the ACL of his left knee |
| July 2007 | Ruptured the ACL in his left knee while running on a golf course |
| April 2008 | Arthroscopic surgery on his left knee to repair cartilage damage |
| June 2008 | Reconstructive surgery on left ACL and to repair cartilage damage |
| Dec. 2008 | Ruptured the Achilles tendon in his right leg |
| May 2010 | WD at TPC due to inflammation of a neck joint |
| Dec. 2010 | Cortisone shot in right ankle because of lingering soreness in his Achilles |
| April 2011 | Suffered minor sprain of left MCL and minor strain of left Achilles |
| May 2011 | WD at TPC due to sprained MCL and Achilles strain |
| March 2012 | WD at WGC due to left Achilles injury |
| June 2013 | Injured left elbow when hitting ball out of deep rough at U.S. Open |
| March 2014 | Surgery to repair pinched nerve in his back |
| Aug. 2014 | WD from WGC after re-aggravating his back |
| Sept. 2015 | Second microdiscectomy surgery to remove a disc fragment that was pinching his nerve |
| Oct. 2015 | Surgery to relieve discomfort from procedure in September |
| Feb. 2017 | WD from Dubai Desert Classic after back spasms |
In four years, Woods has played 20 events, missed the cut in seven, and withdrawn in four of them.
It's been a long career
The 1997 Masters is approaching its 20th anniversary, marking the weekend that many started following Woods' career. However, Tiger has been playing competitive golf from a very early age. The pressure cooker of competitive golf, travel, and obligations that others don't have can simply wear a player down. Need evidence? David Duval.