Tiger Woods will not be at Ponte Vedra when the Tour stops for the Players Championship. The PGA Tour released the 144-man field for the March 14 event and Woods’s name was a glaring absence. It was widely expected that the veteran golfer would tee up at TPC Sawgrass, having earlier expressed his wish to play one tournament a month.

Speaking at the Hero World Challenge last December, the 15-time Major winner said, “Once a month seems reasonable. It gives me a couple of weeks to recover and a week to tune up. Maybe I can get into the rhythm.”

Woods, who was recently named the Vice Chairman of the PGA Tour Enterprises, is not taking part in Bay Hill as well for the ongoing Arnold Palmer Invitational. He has won eight times at Bay Hill including straight four victories between 2000-2003. The Players Championship, despite its non-signature status, generally draws in the top players.

Tiger Woods has teed up at TPC Sawgrass 19 times in his career, with five top-10 finishes to his name, including two victories in 2001 and 2013. He also came in a close second in 2000 and had previously withdrawn from the Players Championship twice. In 2010, the 48-year-old golfer had to pull out due to a neck injury in the final rounds. The next year, Woods removed himself before the tournament started.

In his most recent PGA Tour start, Tiger Woods shot 1-over 71 in the opening round of the Genesis Invitational. However, he bowed out during the second round with flu-like symptoms. It was later confirmed that Woods had influenza.

Notably, Tiger Woods was on the greens at Juno Beach for the elite Seminole Pro member last Monday. Partnering with PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh, the Hall of Famer tied for 33rd with a net score of 66, and 44th with a gross score of 70. That was his maiden outing at the elite evet close to his home. Is there any surprise participation coming in the future?

Where will Tiger Woods play next?

After the Players, the tour will stop at Palm Harbor for the Valspar Championship. Woods has played only once at the Valspar Championship before in 2018, for a T2 finish. After that there are two tournaments before the Masters – the Valero Texas Open and the Texas Children’s Houston Open. Woods hasn’t played in these two events before.

So, it won’t be surprising if Tiger Woods tees up directly at the Masters next. It might very as well be that the 48-year-old will play only the Majors till July this year. Interestingly, his friend, Steve Stricker said he might invite Woods to pair up for the Zurich Classic, the Tour’s only team event. Woods hasn’t played a full round in any PGA Tour event since the Hero World Challenge.

Not every time you see two generational talents come together. But a Bahamas golf course has done just that. Jack Nicklaus has already left his mark, most notably with Muirfield Village Golf Club, and Valhalla Golf Club. Tiger Woods, still a rookie on that front, is working on multiple projects. But Jack’s Bay in the Bahamas is where they have found common ground.

Only this time, the veteran golfer followed in Woods’s footsteps. A Woods-designed course sits side by side with Jack Nicklaus’s dream project on the sprawling 1200-acre shores of Eleuthera—the only place where you can find this. But the 18-time Major winner is more involved in the project than the 48-year-old.

Nicklaus’s project was unveiled last April. Nestled beside four miles of vast sand beaches, the 18-hole championship course will be a signature product of the Nicklaus Heritage. Furthermore, the real estate project will also carry the rare distinction of the Nicklaus Community.

All the course designers have been personally trained by the 18-time Major winner himself. Led by Chad Goetz, Senior Design Associate at Nicklaus Design, like his other courses, this one on the Caribbean shores will also incorporate the local geographical characteristics.

Sitting right beside the Championship course is Woods’s short 10-hole ‘Playground’. The TGR-designed course is nestled south of the Rock Sound on Eleuthera. With greens ranging from 71 to 159 yards, the short course was designed to offer both seasoned amateurs and casual golfers pure fun and enjoyment. The Par-30 layout was completed in 2020, whereas the Nicklaus-designed course will be completed in 2025.

The first phase is expected to be completed this year. The entire project will include a highly exclusive residential complex, a spa, and a sports pavilion complex. The price of 24 beachfront and ocean-view residential complexes will range from $1 million to $3 million. Speaking about the project, Tiger Woods said, “Jack’s Bay is destined to become the next great family destination and draw people from all over the world to Eleuthera. The future is bright for Jack’s Bay.”

Woods’s 18-hole course in Mexico, El Cardonal at Diamante, has already been a PGA Tour stop since last year. The 15-time Major champion is also working on a project in New Jersey with Mike Trout. Golf tourism has quickly become a prospective opportunity for future investors. The industry was valued at $23.1 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% to reach north of $40 billion by 2033. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus appear to latch onto the growing industry.

Like all relationships, friendships are also vulnerable. It is equally possible for both interpersonal and external factors to act against the bond. Maybe that is what happened between Tiger Woods and his once-close friend, Tom Brady.

The duo was bonded closely until their ex-romantic partners had an altercation of sorts, and they eventually fell apart. But years later, do they both still share a fractured relationship, or have they been able to turn the stars right on their friendship?

It all started with a failed double date. Rolling the reels of celebrity history back to the time when Tom Brady’s ex-wife Gisele Bündchen and Tiger Woods’s then-girlfriend Erica Herman did not have the smoothest of times getting along.  But it wasn’t just Herman that Bündchen had a seemingly controversial interaction with.

The ex-star wife and famous former Victoria’s Secrets Angel also “intimidated” another one of Woods’s girlfriends. That was Lindsey Vonn, the 82-time PGAT winner’s “least problematic” partner. However, now that both of these sensations from the NFL world and the golf world have separated from all three of these rather famous ex-partners, it is being questioned if they have rekindled their bond and repaired the damages this caused.

Well, to the sports world’s relief, the short answer to this is maybe. Even though the once close-knitted duo is now out of their respective relationships, they have still not been spotted together at any public places, despite Brady and Woods’s return to the golf course for some time now.

However, like all situations, this one also has another side to it. Considering the fact that they are confirmed to be spotted together at an upcoming event, it can be said that they might be back to being buddies after years of separation. But which event is going to be the seal to their long-ongoing bond’s revival?

The next sighting of the duo would be at the extremely competitive, albeit exclusive, Seminole Pro-Member on Monday, March 4th. This will be Tiger Woods’s next stop after his health-imposed withdrawal from the Genesis Invitational. Dubbed “first major of the year” by David Love III, this year will be Mr. Woods’s debut at this exclusive event.

Sharing the field with Tom Brady, it will be interesting to see where these two giants stand after their respective breakups, friendship-wise. However, it is expected that things between the duo will likely go well, owing to their shared keen professionalism.

Tiger Woods might have to go back on his words. Woods, in December, said that he was planning to tee up once a month in 2024. That looked realistic for the 48-year-old. Per the plan, Masters was supposed to be his only outing during April. But that might as well change thanks to Steve Stricker.

Stricker, Woods’s buddy on and off the course would try to persuade him to play one more event in late April. The Champions Tour pro wants to offer Woods a chance to partner with him at the Zurich Classic, the PGA Tour’s lone team event. The 57-year-old in a chat with Gold Digest’s The Loop podcast, said, “I thought about asking him to see if he wanted to play in New Orleans at the team event.”  “How cool would that be?” a delighted Stricker exclaimed.

The two friends have teed up together at the 2010 and 2012 Ryder Cup. Furthermore, at the 2023 PNC Championship, the 15-time Major winner teamed up with his son, Charlie Woods. While his daughter, Sam Woods was on his bag. Stricker was also present with daughter Izzy, who received praise from Tiger Woods after the final round at Ritz Carlton Golf Club.

Stricker said, “I think I’m going to text him and say, hey let’s do this one more time. Let’s get together one more time.” While Stricker has doubts if the veteran will agree, it would be a super fun event. “I don’t think this will happen, but it’d be a blast,” added the veteran golfer. Stricker also commented on Woods’s game and what he predicts the future holds for the former World No.1.

Stricker, who recently broke Woods’s record of 52 consecutive rounds under par, feels that the Hall of Famer looked good despite bowing out of the Genesis Invitational. Tiger Woods had to withdraw from the event he hosted at Riviera due to Influenza. But Stricker feels relieved that it didn’t have anything to do with physical injuries. “It looked like he was getting a little bit better. So I’m excited for him for that part.”

“I’m hoping the best for him, and I hope to see him playing in these Majors. His swing looks fine, and he is going to get it around,” Stricker concluded. The Wisconsin resident, who captained the 2021 Ryder Cup winning team earlier revealed that texts from Woods inspired him a lot. In fact, speaking at that time, the veteran golfer said, he would love to see Tiger Woods as a vice-captain sometime in the future. Notably, Woods was the US team captain at the 2019 Presidents Cup. The 82-time PGA Tour winner recently participated at the Seminole Pro-member on Monday.

What will be Tiger Woods’s next step? A question that has been surrounding the golf world ever since his withdrawal from the Genesis Invitational. Everyone was expecting Woods to show up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but that will now not be happening!

It has recently been revealed that the 15-time major champion will not be committing to the famous event. It is not an out-of-the-blue announcement considering the health condition that Woods has been in and the fact that the Masters Tournament at Augusta National is just around the corner.

It is expected that Woods might make an appearance at THE PLAYERS in the coming days. However, there has been no confirmation of this from the star. The Players remains the only event that Mr. T can be a part of before the season’s first major.

However, it still remains a question whether Woods will commit to the event preceding the Masters Tournament on March 12th or not. It is equally possible that the star might choose not to play in any events and save his energy for the Augusta showdown. With updates rolling in about his next appearances, what is going on with the 48-year-old’s health?

The 15-time Major Champ cited Influenza as the reason for his taking a step back from both the competition and his Tournament host duties. But it was not just the viral sickness that became a hurdle for the star at Genesis. Although he seems to have somewhat recovered from his ankle’s problems, the wrath of frequent back spasms was also a problem at the time of his last appearance.

While it is likely that by now the golf world sensation must have recovered from the flu, which has a recovery span of 14 days, Working on his current physical status and recurrent back and ankle problems before April seems to be high up on the star’s to-do list. Hence, it becomes fairly possible that, the 5X Masters Champion might not be a part of the forthcoming Tour events.

Good golf, but grade-A banters. That has been the highlight of Capital One’s The Match. What started with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson reached its peak with Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. None of them will be here this time, but for the first time in history, two LPGA pros will tee up for the 12-hole charity event.

Rose Zhang & Lexi Thompson will join Golf Twitter’s favorite son, Max Homa, and four-time Major winner, Rory McIlroy this year. In case you missed it, Homa gave a glimpse of what’s to come at the Park at West Palm Beach for a few days. It’s mostly a roastfest for the pros, sprinkled with some fun duels. On that note, let’s go back in time to relish some of the finest moments from Capital One’s The Match.

The first edition of the match showed what’s to come next. Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods locked horns for a battle that went to the fourth playoff hole. But more than the Match, which lacked spark from both, banter took center stage. Notably, Mickelson and Woods also had a running bet then that saw Lefty lose $200,000 on the opening hole. Eventually, he recovered after winning the next three holes to pocket $600,000.

The ninth edition of Captial One’s The Match will kickstart at 6.30 p.m. ET on TNT. For Rose Zhang, it will be a novel experience, whereas for Lexi Thompson, having played against men in the Shriners Children’s Open last October, this could be a redeeming moment. Notably, all the players will tee up from the same box. You can also stream the event on TNT, TruTV, and HLN!

2. Charles Barkley shuts down the ‘hecklers’ at The Match

Mickelson came to the winning circle after pairing up with Charles Barkley. Notably, Barkley was 57 at the time and had a handicap of 25. The veterans continued to dominate against Stephen Curry and Peyton Manning nonetheless.

The NBA-NFL duo fumbled after winning the first hole, going down four down by 10 holes. The on-course banter was accompanied by brutal jabs from Barkley’s NBA colleagues off the course. Nevertheless, the former NBA star had the last laugh. Barkley will return this year to the analyst-cum-trash-talkers’s seat.

3. Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth’s ace trash-talking

Speaking of trash-talking, few are better than Tiger Woods in the game. But he was outclassed by his ‘younger brother’, Justin Thomas, and Jordan Spieth in 2022. The 15-time Major champion paired up with Rory McIlroy. Thomas and Spieth thumbed down the Pelican Golf Club, making seven birdies to clinch a 3&2 victory. “Second place isn’t bad, guys,” Thomas told Woods and McIlroy after the match.

Thomas, notably, had an on-and-off banter battle with Charles Barkley, who was analyzing the match. The former NBA star taunted the 15-time PGA Tour winner on his allegiance towards the University of Alabama (“Alabama University,” Barkley kept on mistaking the name deliberately to tease Thomas) College Golf.

4. Aaron Rodgers had all the fireworks on his The Match debut

Undoubtedly, Bryson DeChambeau and Aaron Rodgers were the underdogs in the 2021 edition of the Match. It sounds blasphemous to call any of those two underdogs, but going up against 46-time PGA Tour winner Phil Mickelson and NFL legend Tom Brady, who reportedly is an 8-handicap, Rodgers and DeChambeau were undoubtedly on the back foot.

Yet, the Scientist and Rodgers beat the formidable duo 3&2 in the alternate shot format. Amid plenty of trash-talking, Rodgers kept his club steady and his mind sharp to nail the birdie putt on the 16th, earning bragging rights over Brady and Mickelson.

5. When Brooks Koepka trashed and thrashed Bryson DeChambeau

A niggling wrist injury couldn’t stop Brooks Koepka from a thumping victory at the Wynn Country Club. Koepka needed only nine holes to seal the 12-hole match’s fate. “Not going to lie, I just wanted to spank you,” Koepka told Bryson DeChambeau after the match.

The five-time Major winner birdied four holes to take the lead that the Scientist couldn’t overcome. In his defense, DeChambeau was out of the greens for two months after the Ryder Cup, buckling up for a long driving contest. The 2020 US Open winner finished seventh in the Long Drive contest.

Luck has not been on Tiger Woods’s side when it comes to the Cognizant Classic. Earlier famously known as the Honda Classic, not even one of the 82 wins of the PGA Tour star comes from the Floridan greens that the event is played on.

It’s shocking, isn’t it? Despite being one of the greatest stars the game has ever seen, the 48-year-old has carded not even one win in the event, which began in 1972. So what has his track record been like?

If Tiger Woods could change something this year, it would be his start at the 2024 Genesis Invitational. This event was serving as the end of his much-awaited return to the professional greens. Furthermore, he showcased his new brand, Sun Day Red, just days before the event, which created more intrigue amongst the fans. The event was going to serve as the launch platform for his new brand until the medical catastrophe hit on the second day.

Woods’s plans were cut short due to his developing flu symptoms. Later, it was revealed to be influenza, an ailment that takes more than two weeks to cure. So where does this roadblock leave Woods in his return journey to the PGA Tour? Probably not teeing up at the Players Stadium Course from March 14th to March 17th.

The 15x major champion had promised his fans in 2023 that he will be playing one event per month in 2024. Following this schedule, the 48-year-old was expected to play at the Players Championship in March and then the Masters Tournament in April. His start at the Players was a special one too. It would have been his first start at TPC Sawgrass in five years, since 2019.

Well, the golfer’s loyal fans have some theories attributable to his return to The Players, since his latest predicament means he could drop out of this event in favor of fully recovering for the Master Tournament in April.

Delving more into the withdrawal theory to compete for the sixth green jacket, Woods’s fans have shared their opinions on Twitter.

There is not a uniform mass opinion of the fans over the next event of the 48-year-old. But Brent Weisflock, who is the Community Manager of the Golf Insider page NUCLR GOLF, claimed boldly, “He’s playing.”

Unfortunately for him, not all fans felt the same way with one stating, “No he should rest up and be ready 100% for the Masters.”

Another fan supported this opinion. They wished Tiger Woods would heal completely for the Master 2024 without stressing about any other event.

But one fan gave an interesting theory that could be the reason Woods competes in March. The fan pointed out that he needs practice before a major tournament. Playing in the Players Championship, despite being ill, will serve as this practice.