After intense treatment on his back that forced him to withdraw last week in Palm Beach Gardens, Tiger Woods intends to compete in the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral beginning Thursday.
Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, said Wednesday morning that Woods was on his way to Trump National Doral and would take part in an afternoon news conference before getting a look at the reconfigured course. Woods has won at Doral four times.
“He wouldn’t be coming down here if he didn’t intend to compete at the highest level,” Steinberg said. “He intends to play and wants to play well.”
Steinberg said Woods has not hit any golf shots since withdrawing from the Honda Classic on Sunday after 13 holes at PGA National. He was 5 over for his round at the time and outside the top 40, a day after shooting a season-best 65.
It was the fourth time in the last five years that Woods has withdrawn from a tournament due to injury, and the third time he did so during the final round.
Woods had back issues last year at the Barclays, where spasms caused him to fall to the ground after hitting an approach shot. Woods finished tied for second, but had difficulty in his next three events, barely practicing.
He pronounced himself fine at the start of the year, although he has since acknowledged that he was careful in the offseason not to over do it. He has started poorly, with a tie for 80th at Torrey Pines, a tie for 41st in Dubai and last week’s withdrawal.
Woods is scheduled to play the Arnold Palmer Invitational in two weeks, and Steinberg didn’t rule out adding another tournament.
“I’d be surprised if he did, but it’s something we talk about,” Steinberg said. “He has basically played the same schedule leading up to the Masters for years.”
