What does skipping the Players mean for Tiger Woods at Augusta?
By Jordan Perez
Just how much has the Players Championship impacted Tiger Woods’s performance at the Masters?
Tiger Woods’ recent pullback from the PGA Tour regular season has drawn plenty of concern. His appearance at the Valspar Championship is still in question but with an implied focus on his most winningest major, the Florida swing is likely a no-go for Tiger.
It was not an easy decision, but I will not be attending @THEPLAYERSChamp. I have to listen to my body and properly rest when needed. My back is simply just not ready for play next week. I'm sad to miss one of the best events of the season, OUR Championship.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) March 6, 2020
It’s easy to fall back on the common reminder that the Players Championship is not a major. Despite being one of the most top-tier fields in the PGA Tour season, the tournament is written off frequently. Try as it might, it is not the fifth major, and it doesn’t look like it will be any time soon. Tiger’s absence in the 2020 edition has given more sound to such fanfare.
His choice is certainly valid. But it still sounded the alarms. Missing one of the largest non-major events does just that. The final era of Tiger Woods is seemingly the least active and is hitting fans harder with wins in the mix. Is inactivity effective around this time of the year?
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Consider this: Each one of his Augusta victories was warmed up with an appearance in Ponte Vedra Beach.
And no, none of the wins had anything to do with the Players and the Masters occurring a month apart. Each April major win has been preceded with the Players scheduled in March.
Coincidence? Possibly. In 2001, he won both.
The second time he won the Players was in 2013, followed by a tie for fourth at Augusta.
But relying on these metrics is a dubious measure. With Tiger’s health in full regard, it’s hard to quantify the likelihood of a win in one event or another. As time goes on, more selectivity is necessary.
Tiger doesn’t have to justify his decision, either. As a two-time winner out of an event he’s played 19 times, the risk of tarnishing one of his last few chances at Augusta in what’s left of his better play is simply too high.
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There’s a lot of consideration coming from Tiger Woods and his camp. If they continue to play it safe, there’s no reason to believe the end is near. Win 83 is still very much in play and whether or not it happens at Augusta National, Tiger’s extra mindfulness is setting himself up well to claim the all-time record.