Tiger won't commit to playing back-to-back weeks

Whether Tiger Woods plays back-to-back tournaments depends on his back.

Right now, he simply can't say one way or another.

"I think it would be a great sign if I do play (back to back)," Woods said Tuesday, according to ESPN's Bob Harig. "I think it would be a smart sign if I didn't play. How about that?"

Woods is in the field this week at the Genesis Open at Riviera. He's coming off a 23rd-place finish at the Farmers Insurance Open late in January. And no matter how he fares, he's approaching each and every week with caution.

His goal, he said, is to simply not have to deal with soreness, to play all-out after only three days' rest. But he can only know that after playing in a tournament setting - it's not a scenario he can simulate.

"I'd eventually like to win tournaments," Woods said. "I'm trying to get through that process, go through that process, get to that point. I'm making small little subtle changes in my posture and my game and my swing because I'm starting to understand my body a little bit more with this back and that's different than it used to be. ... But also I don't want to play too much. This is still all new to me and I just want to be real smart about it."

Woods tees off Thursday at 10:22 a.m. ET with Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas.