Players and TV commentators react to Tiger Woods sidelined for the Players

ORLANDO – The news that back stiffness would prevent Tiger Woods from competing next week threw a wet blanket on the Players Championship in what is perennially the deepest field in golf.

Woods, a two-time Players champ, hasn’t played since hosting the Genesis Invitational last month. He also skipped the WGC-Mexico Championship. Graeme McDowell summed up the thoughts of many pros in the Arnold Palmer Invitational when he said that he was disappointed, but not surprised, to hear the announcement from Woods.

“He’s the X-factor at any tournament,” McDowell said. “You know he’d love to play next week, but he’s on a mission, and that mission is to win another green coat.”

Veteran Tour pros and TV commentators Davis Love III of CBS and Peter Jacobsen of NBC also weighed in from interesting vantage points as pros who have both endured their share of back trouble.

“I get it. When you’re stiff, you’re stiff. If anyone should call him and commiserate, it should be me,” Love said. “You know when you don’t have it. I’m not smart enough to think, ‘If I play I’m going to hurt myself.’ I’m still going to keep going. He’s done that before. Now he realizes, ‘I don’t have a good knee, I don’t have a good back, and I’m going to hurt something else.’ It’s not that he can’t do it, but he doesn’t want to risk getting it worse. You know what he’s thinking – just get me inside the ropes at the Masters and I can win again. I’m sure he’ll tell you, this is cautionary and for protection and not to worry about it. He’ll play when he’s ready to play.”

“I feel badly for the tournament and I feel badly for him, but it’s not surprising to me,” Jacobsen said. “I’ve had back surgeries and I know what it’s like when you get out of a chair and you go try to practice and something tightens and you shut it down. You know in your mind that unless you want to show up and be a celebration type golfer, he shouldn’t be playing. I completely understand it and I applaud him for it. He’s thinking about next week, next month, next year. He can play well like Phil (Mickelson) into his 50s, but he has to measure himself. He has to pick and choose his spots. Anybody can play hurt; nobody can play well hurt. You want to know when you tee it up on No. 1 that you can play and contend for 72 holes.”

CBS lead analyst Nick Faldo shared a similar sentiment in a tweet:

I can promise you he wants/needs to play! But how many starts will his back let him have his year? Needs five days straight let alone practice time! 😳 https://t.co/w7nlmzu7NN

— Sir Nick Faldo (@NickFaldo006) March 6, 2020

There are three tournaments after the Players that Woods could potentially play: the Valspar Championship, where he finished second in 2018, WGC Dell Match Play, where he lost in the quarterfinals last year, and the Valero Texas Open, where he last played in 1996, his rookie season.

The Masters is scheduled to begin on April 9.