PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — Tiger Woods did not commit to the WGC-Mexico Championship by the Friday deadline, meaning the 15-time major champion will not be playing next week at Club de Golf Chapultepec. All signs point toward Woods wanting to rest after a week of double duty as player-host of the Genesis Invitational.
There was widespread belief that Woods would play, given there is no cut and the WGC offer increased World Ranking points, which is a concern if Woods is to qualify for the Olympics as one of the top four American in the world. He is currently the sixth-highest ranked American, with only a maximum of four U.S. players able to qualify.
Woods played the tournament last year, finishing in a tie for 10th despite one of his worst putting weeks in recent memory. But Woods was running around all week at Riviera and said on Thursday that he had been too busy to practice much before the first round.
Last year, the rest of Woods’ pre-Masters schedule included the Players Championship and the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. He was scheduled to play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which he has won eight times, but withdrew due to a neck injury.
It’s not clear which events Woods will play between now and Augusta, though it’s more than likely he’ll tee it up in both the API and the Players, and then the WGC-Dell Match Play, which falls two weeks before the Masters.
There is still a possibility that Woods could play in the Honda Classic, which is held near his Jupiter, Fla. home, but that would require him to play three straight weeks—a big ask for a 44-year-old with a fused spine.
Woods’ decision not to play Mexico is a blow to the tournament, though World No. 1 Rory McIlroy did commit to playing at the beginning of this week.