It’s been a while since we saw Tiger Woods on the greens. After his withdrawal from the Genesis Invitational owing to influenza, the golfer had only played at the Seminole Pro-Member with Seth Waugh. Although many did expect the legend to play at the event deemed ‘The Fifth Major’ of golf, the PLAYERS Championship, the community was sure surprised to see his name missing from the field. However, it appears there is a reason for that, as per his longtime friend, Notah Begay III.
A tweet was shared by TWLEGION, a fan page of the professional, which reportedly divulged the reason why the 48-year-old did not join the event. It mentioned how Woods, as per Begay, was not willing to risk jeopardizing his chances of playing at the Masters Tournament by taking part in the PLAYERS Championship.
It is true that TPC Sawgrass, this time around, proved to be a challenge for the golfers owing to its environmental conditions and the wind speed, which had been predicted to escalate from 7 km/h to 12 km/h. That is exactly what the analyst of the sport believes as well as he said, “The Players is such a crapshoot on your tee times and the wind conditions.”
Adding on, the 51-year-old divulged, “I just don’t think the risk was worth it to him,” after mentioning how the course, TPC Sawgrass, “favors nobody.” What’s more, he pointed out the reason why he felt Tiger Woods decided to participate in the major instead of the PLAYERS, “Why would he risk it there when he can go to Augusta where he knows the course better than any player walking on the grounds, where he’s at a distinct advantage.”
That’s not all. It appears the 15-time major champ would only be faced with a single question while he is playing at the Augusta National, which is known for its elevation; “Can I walk this hilly course and what’s going to happen to me when I do?”
Therefore, as per Begay, the course at TPC Sawgrass wouldn’t have boded well with the legend, who himself still seems to be plagued by health concerns a week ahead of the major. Well, the golf analyst had a lot to say about that as well.
Tiger Woods cursed with health concerns
“For the past couple of months, he’s been trying to find a way to recover,” disclosed Begay before pointing out the main problem; “Can he recover, from one round to the next?” aside from the other obvious question, “Can he walk the 72 holes?” Besides, Tiger Woods’s longtime friend also commented on the strategies that the 48-year-old is taking against the various constraints he will face at the major.
Constraints? Yes, he was talking exactly about the various health issues that the golfer is currently facing. Revealing the same, he said, “He’s got zero mobility in that left ankle and really has low-back challenges now, which he knew he was going to have.”
Anyhow, one can only wait for the athlete to come out to the greens and see if he is able to dish out his best. That is what Begay feels as well. Tiger Woods will only be able to figure everything out after he gets out there at Augusta National.
