Tiger Woods announced in a Twitter post on Monday that he will miss the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Resort and Club www.bayhill.com in Orlando, Fla., because of neck strain.
The 43-year-old Woods, who has won the tournament a record eight times, said the neck problem has bothered him the last few weeks. He added that his lower back, on which he has had four surgeries in recent years, is fine.
“Unfortunately due to a neck strain that I’ve had for a few weeks, I’m forced to withdraw from the API. I’ve been receiving treatment, but it hasn’t improved enough to play. My lower back is fine, and I have no long-term concerns, and I hope to be ready for The Players (next) week,” Woods wrote.
Woods returned to the PGA Tour last year and played 19 times around the world after competing in only 24 events in the previous four years because of his back problems. He showed he was all the way back when he won the Tour Championship in October for his 80th PGA Tour victory, two short of Sam Snead’s record.
Tiger has tied for 20th in the Farmers Insurance Open, tied for 15th in the Genesis Open and tied for 10th in the WGC-Mexico Championship in his first three tournaments this year.
Last year, Woods showed up for the Open Championship at Carnoustie, Scotland, with KT tape on what he said was a stiff neck. “It’s been bugging me for a while.”
On Monday, he didn’t say if this is a new neck injury or the same one.
