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Tiger Woods not playing Wells Fargo, stays committed to reduced schedule

By Brandon Raper

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 14: Tiger Woods of the United States celebrates after sinking his putt on the 18th green to win during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 14: Tiger Woods of the United States celebrates after sinking his putt on the 18th green to win during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images) /
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Tiger Woods wanted to play a reduced schedule in 2019, but with his remarkable success so far, it was fair to wonder if he might push a little harder. That doesn’t appear to be the case, and it’s a sign of Tiger’s growth in his return.

Tiger Woods believed that his professional golf career was over in 2017. His return to form in 2018, capped by a win at the TOUR Championship – his 80th PGA Tour victory – seemed like a fairy tale. And the golf world erupted when Tiger Woods became a Masters Champion for the fifth time in 2019. He’s not just back, he’s better than anybody could have ever hoped – himself included.

Tiger-mania isn’t quite the same in 2019 as it was in 1997, but it’s safe to say that it’s close. It’s a Shakespearean drama played out on a stage of green, and he’s captivating an entirely new generation of fans. But at 43 years old and with his physical history, he understands better than anybody what it will take to stay on this level. Woods played 18 events in the 2018 season, and he said coming into the new year that he wanted to play less.

It would be easy for anybody, especially a competitor like Woods, to try to ride this wave as long as it would go. But he appears to be fully committed to “the plan” at this moment. I – along with a whole bunch of the golf community – fully expected Tiger to play one event between the Masters and the PGA Championship. It made sense that it would come at the Wells Fargo Championship. He’s played Quail Hollow several times over the years, winning there in 2007. And it would allow him to get some valuable reps in before the challenge of Bethpage Black.

However, that’s not the case. We all knew that if Tiger was going to stay committed to his reduced schedule, then it would lead to some really tough cuts. After all, he’s never exactly been a road warrior. He picks and chooses his favorite events, and then he goes and wins them. This year has been a bit different already, though. He skipped the Honda Classic, then withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a neck strain. With the Wells Fargo removed from the slate, it’s entirely possible that Woods will play just five more times before the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

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At this point, his likely schedule includes the PGA Championship (May 16-19), perhaps the Memorial Tournament for Jack Nicklaus (May 30-June 2), the U.S. Open (June 13-16), the Open Championship (July 18-21), and the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational (July 25-28). Those five tournaments, plus three Playoff starts, would leave Tiger with 14 events, four down from his 2018 slate. It would still be a surprise to see him remove either of those non-majors, but he could get as low as 12 if he did. I just don’t see him skipping Jack’s event or a WGC unless his body demands it.

In deference to the 15-time major champion, he’s also got a likely playing captain role awaiting him at this fall’s Presidents Cup in Australia, as well as an announced trip to Japan for the newest TOUR stop, the ZOZO Championship in October. That’s some big-time travel coming up. The plan has never really changed, working to keep his body in peak condition for every event he plays, specifically targeting the major championships. It’s just a little bit different for a 43-year-old Tiger Woods, surgeries and all, than it was for the 23-year-old version.

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I won’t lie. I’m like everyone else, and I want to see Tiger playing every single week. Golf is a more exciting sport when he’s playing. But I also remember, vividly, the sight of him wincing and falling to his knees as he battled through his injuries. If seeing Tiger less frequently means I can replace more of those memories with ones like we just made at Augusta National, I’m fine making that trade off. Clearly, so is he.

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