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Woods 'cautious' with pre-Masters schedule

Michael Reaves / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Tiger Woods is taking baby steps with his game and his schedule.

The 14-time major champ is slotted to play next week at the Genesis Open for the first time since 2006, but hasn't committed to play anything after Riviera. With the tour moving to Florida following the stop in Los Angeles, Woods will wait to see how his game is next week before adding events to the list.

"He's approaching this the same way he has been and he's kind of taking it a week at a time,'' Tiger's agent Mark Steinberg told Bob Harig of ESPN. "He's going to get after it this week and then later in the week make a decision. He doesn't know what he's going to do now."

Woods stated prior to the Farmers Insurance Open that building toward the Masters in early April was his focus in hopes of winning a fifth green jacket, and Steinberg echoed his position.

"He's not just going to commit to commit," added Steinberg. "He's going to commit when he feels like he's ready to do so. As he's been saying for 20-plus years, his schedule is built to peak four times a year, even at age 42. He's taking it in a very slow and cautious way."

Woods has historically been consistent with his program in the lead-up to Augusta, but due to his 546th world ranking, there's been speculation he may add a new event to his schedule.

"I would suspect very early the week after Genesis we're going to know one way or another," Valspar tournament director Tracy West told Rodney Page of the Tampa Bay Times. "His team knows that you don’t just snap your fingers and be ready for Tiger."

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