Connect with us

News

Tiger Woods announces he will not play in the 2017 Masters

Published

2 years ago

on

Tiger Woods released a statement on his website on Friday night confirming that he will not play in the 2017 Masters, because he’s not “tournament ready.” It’s the second year in a row that the four-time Green Jacket winner will not tee it up at Augusta National for The Masters, and it’s been 20 years since his 12-stroke victory in 1997.

Here’s his statement in its entirety:

Unfortunately, I won’t be competing in this year’s Masters. I did about everything I could to play, but my back rehabilitation didn’t allow me the time to get tournament ready. I’m especially upset because it’s a special anniversary for me that’s filled with a lot of great memories. I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since I won my first green jacket.

I have no timetable for my return, but I will continue my diligent effort to recover, and want to get back out there as soon as possible.

I’d like to pass along my regrets to Billy Payne, the Augusta National membership, staff, volunteers and patrons, that I won’t be there. I will be at the Champions Dinner and I look forward to seeing a lot of old friends.

Augusta National has been a very important place to me and my family for over 20 years, and while I’m disappointed, it will be good to be back there Tuesday.

The last we saw of Woods in competition was at the 2017 Omega Dubai Desert Classic, where he withdrew after 18 holes due to spasms in his lower back — a location that’s been surgically operated on three times.

Woods says he has “no timetable” for his return to competitive golf.

Your Reaction?
  • 12
  • LEGIT13
  • WOW6
  • LOL11
  • IDHT2
  • FLOP5
  • OB5
  • SHANK80

Related Topics:

We share your golf passion. You can follow GolfWRX on Twitter @GolfWRX, Facebook and Instagram.

36 Comments

36 Comments

  1. Jim H

    Apr 4, 2017 at 11:46 am

    Such a “surprise” announcement

    Reply Report comment

  2. Dave R

    Apr 3, 2017 at 9:42 pm

    OMG who cares. REALLY !!

    Reply Report comment

  3. Tom54

    Apr 3, 2017 at 7:48 pm

    I understand he say he is not tournament ready but I don’t know why he doesn’t go have some fun, play the best he can and give fans who still love him the opportunity to watch him. If he would open up and be honest and not really care about what he shoots he would gain a lot of credibility and humility. We all know how great he was no denying that. But I agree that the secrecy around him and his injuries is a bit troubling

    Reply Report comment

  4. ButchT

    Apr 3, 2017 at 6:46 pm

    I think his withdrawing is comical.

    Reply Report comment

  5. Pilko

    Apr 3, 2017 at 2:05 pm

    Personally I think it’s the correct decision for Tiger and for golf, as much as I like the phenomena of Tiger playing and even better at the Masters. It’s beneficial to golf that the week isn’t centred around another ‘Tiger Return’ and instead we can see other stories break through. Added to this I don’t feel like we are getting the whole story about Tiger and something is being hidden about his condition.

    Reply Report comment

  6. JR

    Apr 2, 2017 at 9:06 am

    who really gives a chit about tiger anymore?? He is toast, done, kaput!!

    Reply Report comment

  7. ND Hickman

    Apr 2, 2017 at 5:09 am

    Seriously, can we please do away with the SHANK and LOL prefix on article pictures. It’s petty and simply plays up to the Tiger-basher crowd.

    Reply Report comment

    • BB

      Apr 2, 2017 at 11:49 am

      Are you seriously triggered by a Tiger Woods article being shanked? SMH

      Reply Report comment

      • ND Hickman

        Apr 3, 2017 at 8:49 am

        Nope, I’ve said it was a silly addition since day one. It literally serves no purpose other than trolling.

        Reply Report comment

  8. Lc

    Apr 1, 2017 at 7:48 pm

    Just don’t understand people guy was dominate and great to watch just as any athlete that’s purely competitive and not for the money. He had no other impact on my life nor any of the others that try to bash him.

    Reply Report comment

  9. Lc

    Apr 1, 2017 at 7:44 pm

    Ball licker…lol…I get it…lol… funny…read article about a guy and that’s what comes to ur mind. Lol….

    Reply Report comment

  10. KJ

    Apr 1, 2017 at 1:40 pm

    Sad to see such a great player have the game taken away from him b/c of injuries. He should start to think about taking an extended leave of absence and just rest his back for another year. Let it heal as much as possible. Give it one more go and if it doesn’t work out, retire.

    Reply Report comment

  11. Tom

    Apr 1, 2017 at 12:04 pm

    Jack’s record is safe.

    Reply Report comment

  12. Reebs

    Apr 1, 2017 at 12:00 pm

    Aprils fool?

    Reply Report comment

  13. BC

    Apr 1, 2017 at 11:23 am

    He knew he wouldn’t be playing. He has been history for a long time now.

    Reply Report comment

  14. Shallowface

    Apr 1, 2017 at 11:04 am

    There are things that cannot be bought, even if one has a billion dollars.

    Reply Report comment

  15. Rich Douglas

    Apr 1, 2017 at 10:42 am

    Of COURSE he isn’t playing. Neither am I. And both had the same probability: zero.

    Reply Report comment

  16. ooffa

    Apr 1, 2017 at 6:54 am

    BTW he’s not playing in The Players Championship, The British Open, The PGA or the US Open.
    I hope I didn’t scoop your news team with these revelations.

    Reply Report comment

  17. Fat Perez

    Apr 1, 2017 at 6:52 am

    Shocker!!! Lol!

    Reply Report comment

  18. The dude

    Apr 1, 2017 at 6:01 am

    The real question….when will he retire…this year or next.

    Reply Report comment

  19. The dude

    Apr 1, 2017 at 5:59 am

    But …that Bridgestone ball..and TM protos…

    Reply Report comment

  20. TONEY P

    Apr 1, 2017 at 5:42 am

    Wasn’t something we didn’t know. Tiger will be missed. Maybe some others should get out too.

    Reply Report comment

  21. Mark

    Apr 1, 2017 at 5:03 am

    And tomorrow is Sunday. Yawn.

    Reply Report comment

  22. Mr Muira

    Apr 1, 2017 at 4:57 am

    At least Elvis Presley has the decency to rock up.

    Reply Report comment

  23. Johnnylongballz

    Apr 1, 2017 at 3:46 am

    No announcement was necessary.

    Reply Report comment

  24. Wedge Chunk

    Apr 1, 2017 at 12:47 am

    Arnold Palmer wont be there either.

    Reply Report comment

  25. Big Mike

    Mar 31, 2017 at 11:51 pm

    He is done. Great memories of the Tiger of old but today’s Tiger has been tamed by mother nature and physical limitations. Thank you Tiger for the memories and all you have done for the game. Wishing you the best

    Reply Report comment

  26. Moonman

    Mar 31, 2017 at 11:19 pm

    I heard Tiger is going to play next year at the Masters. Cant wait!!!!!!

    Reply Report comment

  27. Jason

    Mar 31, 2017 at 10:26 pm

    Maybe he could just be an Honorary Starter.

    Reply Report comment

  28. Dat

    Mar 31, 2017 at 10:08 pm

    close the comments, this is gonna get ugly.

    Reply Report comment

  29. ooffa

    Mar 31, 2017 at 8:52 pm

    Of course he’s not. No one thought he would.

    Reply Report comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

News

Phil phires a 60 | Lowry leads in Abu Dhabi | Bernhard the bricklayer’s son

Published

11 hours ago

on

Jan 18, 2019

By
By Ben Alberstadt (ben.alberstadt@golfwrx.com)

January 18, 2019

Good Friday morning, golf fans.
1.  Desert Classic
A “rusty” Mickelson leads with nothing less than a 12-under 60…
Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…”If this is his idea of rusty, it could be another special year for Phil Mickelson…Before heading out to begin his 28th year on the PGA Tour, Lefty alerted his 250,000-plus Twitter followers that he was “excited” and “fresh” and “ready to get started,” but also, um, “rusty,” which is a golfer’s subtle way of suggesting that expectations should be lowered. Mickelson even told his playing partner, Aaron Wise, the reigning Rookie of the Year, as much before the round: “I’m rusty, so don’t expect much.”
  • “But Mickelson has been doing the improbable for nearly three decades now, and so maybe it shouldn’t have been such a complete surprise that in his first round of 2019, at 48 years of age, with no expectations, he carded his lowest score in relation to par in his long and decorated Tour career – a 12-under 60, to take the lead Thursday at the Desert Classic.”
  • “It was kind of a lucky day in the sense that I did not feel sharp heading in,” Mickelson said afterward. “Sometimes it’s just one of those days when it clicks.”
2. Meanwhile, on the LPGA Tour…
AP Report…”Nearly three months after Lewis became a mother, and six months after she last played on tour, she opened with seven birdies on Thursday for a 5-under 66 that left her one shot behind Brooke Henderson and Eun-Hee Ji at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.”
  • ”Pleasantly surprised,” Lewis said. ”Had pretty low expectations going into the day. Just really made a lot of putts. I had some weird shots, which I knew was going to happen having not played in a while. I don’t know where it came from, but I’m going to take it.”
  • “Henderson overcame a slow start with a bogey on the second hole and a par save on No. 3 at the Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons. She birdied five of her last eight holes for a 65 to tie Ji, who had a bogey-free round.”
  • “The tournament – the first season-opener in Florida for the LPGA since 2015 – is only for LPGA winners each of the last two years.”
3. European Tour
A report from The National...”Shane Lowry has a three-shot advantage to take into Saturday’s final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA.”
  • “A birdie at the 18th gave him a round of 67 to leave him on -17, three ahead of South African Richard Sterne.”
  • “An eagle on the final hole from Ian Poulter lifted the Englishman to -12 and gives him hope he can prevail on Saturday.”
  • “Pablo Larrazabal will start the final round on -11 ahead of a quartet of Maximilian Kiefer, Thomas Pieters, Soren Kjeldsen and Scott Jamieson.”
4. The bricklayer’s son
Bernhard Langer’s “My Shot” runs in Golf Digest this month.
A few morsels…
  • “My father built our house. When I was a boy, he would call on me to help him lay bricks. I would shovel the material for the mortar into a small mixing machine, then join him in laying the bricks, setting them carefully, one by one, using string to make sure everything was straight. I consider it a miracle to have come this far.”
  • “WE CADDIES were given four hand-me-down clubs to share. There was a 2-wood, 3-iron and 7-iron, all with bamboo shafts, and a putter with a shaft bent like an archer’s bow. By the time I was 12, I saved enough money to buy a new set of Kroydon irons. They weren’t top of the line, but they were shiny, new and all mine. I added a Blue Goose model putter that had a small indentation in the head. It was a magical putter, and I quickly became the best putter at the course, Golfclub Augsburg, and possibly all of Germany. One day the putter went missing. I frantically went through the members’ bags, and sure enough, found my Blue Goose with the indentation. But I was in a terrible situation. I couldn’t confront the member-he surely would deny everything, and I would be fired. So I kept it to myself. I never did get the Blue Goose back. I’ve spent the past 50 years looking for a putter that suits me as well.”
5. Latin American Am
AP Report…“Alvaro Ortiz of Mexico had an ideal start Thursday in hopes of turning his fortunes in the Latin American Amateur Championship, opening with a 6-under 66 to build a three-shot lead after the opening round.”
  • “Ortiz has been runner-up in the Latin American Amateur the last two years. He finished five shots behind Joaquin Niemann of Chile last year, and he lost in a three-man playoff to Toto Gana the previous year.”
  • “The winner earns a spot in the Masters in April, and is exempt into the final stage of qualifying for the U.S. Open and British Open.”
6. Pins in at Augusta National? Maybe…
Golf Channel’s Nick Menta…”Will players really be allowed to putt with the pins in during at the Masters?”
  • “Asked that question Thursday at the Latin America Amateur Championship, Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley didn’t say no.”
  • “Under the new Rules of Golf, which went into effect on Jan. 1, players are now allowed to leave the flagstick in while on the greens, as Bryson DeChambeau so eagerly demonstrated.”
  • “Addressing the possibility of Augusta National going against the Rules of Golf during Masters week, Ridley first thanked the USGA’s Mike Davis and R&A’s Martin Slumbers for their work, then preached a message of “consistency” at the game’s highest levels.”
  • “We will, as we always do, collaborate with the governing bodies. We will talk about those local rules and conditions that will be implemented,” Ridley said.”
  • “We think it’s important that there be some consistency in top championship golf, and so you should expect that the Masters Tournament, from a rules perspective, will look very much, if not the same, as what you’re seeing in the major championships and the professional tours.”
7. The weirdest lies in golf history
Great stuff here from Coleman Bentley rounding up some of the most absurd lies (and resultant shots) in golf history (although it’s hard to believe there’s any way his list could be comprehensive, but hey, headlines, and you have to admire the effort)
  • “Golf is a game of minutely controlled chaos. Atoms crashing into atoms. Weight swooping into inertia. A ballet of bounces, spins, kicks, and ricochets that goes wrong just as often as it goes right. The beauty of a such an unpredictable game-one of inches, not yards-however, is that when it goes right it’s spectacular and when it goes wrong, well, it’s equally spectacular. Beg to differ? Well, keep on begging, because as the weirdest, wildest lies in golf’s weird, wild history prove, chaos is a beautiful thing indeed.”
  • “Shane Lowry – 2018 Abu Dhabi Championship…Before Shane Lowry could tie the course record at the 2018 Abu Dhabi Championship, he first had to conquer Trash Heap Corner. P.S. If no one’s taking that couch, we might know a guy who’s interested.”
  • “Phil Mickelson – 2014 Barclays Championship…The Leave: Just to the left of Big Jeff’s Hotdog Haus. One day Phil Mickelson will save par from the surface of the moon. We’re sure of it. Until then, his walkabout at the 2014 Barclays Championship will have to suffice.”
8. Kang & McNealy
A couple of Las Vegas-based golf pros are a couple!
Golf Channel’s Randall Mell...”Danielle Kang watched Maverick McNealy with special interest when he was mic’d up on Golf Channel’s telecast of the Web.com Tour event in the Bahamas earlier this week.”
  • “They are dating.”
  • “Kang wasn’t sure whether to reveal McNealy is her boyfriend, but she couldn’t help herself.”
  • “He’s a dork,” she cracked when asked to review his running dialogue on Golf Channel. “But he’s my dork.”
  • “She was applying the Kang needle. Both she and McNealy live in Las Vegas. She said they met at a golf course there, The Summit Club.”
  • “He’s a sweetheart,” Kang said. “I have so much respect for him and vice versa.”
  • Aww!
9. Back in black!
Titleist 718 AP2 Black and AP3 Black released in limited quantities. Previously only available in a traditional chrome finish, the new Titleist 718 AP2 Black and Titleist 718 AP3 Black irons are finished with a sleek, high polish black PVD coating. The irons feature True Temper AMT Onyx shafts stock.
  • Titleist has unveiled new 718 AP2 Black and 718 AP3 Black irons in limited black finish that will be available to purchase from March 1.
  • Previously only available in a traditional chrome finish, the new Titleist 718 AP2 Black and Titleist 718 AP3 Black irons are finished with a sleek, high polish black PVD coating. The irons feature True Temper AMT Onyx shafts stock. The shafts’ powder coat matte black finish aims to minimize glare (in addition to looking cool). An all-black Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip is standard as well.
  • Speaking on the move to release the irons in black, Josh Talge, Vice President, Golf Club Marketing said
  • “One request we heard from both tour players and amateurs, particularly those who have gravitated toward our Jet Black Vokey SM7 wedges, was if they could have these same irons in a darker finish. Our team spent a lot of time making sure the aesthetics were done just right. It’s a look that you just have to see.”
Your Reaction?
  • 3
  • LEGIT1
  • WOW1
  • LOL0
  • IDHT0
  • FLOP0
  • OB0
  • SHANK0

Continue Reading

Equipment

Brooks Koepka with Mizuno JPX 919 irons, TaylorMade M5 driver in the bag at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Published

1 day ago

on

Jan 17, 2019

By

Brooks-Koepka-Mizuno-JPX919

Brooks Koepka is in action this week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship equipped with a new driver and set of irons.

Golf.com’s Jonathan Wall broke the news, via Twitter, that Kopeka has TaylorMade’s new M5 Driver in his bag this week, as well as Mizuno’s JPX 919 Tour Irons.

The three-time major champ used TaylorMade’s M3 460 Driver and Mizuno’s JPX 900 Tour irons throughout 2018, and it appears as if Koepka is happy to make the transition to both manufacturers latest additions of those series of clubs right from the get-go in 2019.

Brooks-Koepka-Mizuno-JPX-919

Koepka is currently T13 after two rounds of play at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and sits five shots off the lead.

 

Your Reaction?
  • 37
  • LEGIT5
  • WOW1
  • LOL5
  • IDHT1
  • FLOP3
  • OB2
  • SHANK5

Continue Reading

News

European Tour members have heated exchange over cheating incident…from 2013

Published

1 day ago

on

Jan 17, 2019

By

Social media appears to have become the new playground for golfers to air their issues with each other, and this week it was the turn of two European Tour members.

The two men involved were Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and England’s Simon Dyson, and the subject of the feud revolves around a new change in the rulebook of golf. As of 2019, players are allowed to repair spike marks on the greens, an act which Dyson was found guilty of doing when it was prohibited back in 2013, and subsequently found himself slapped with a fine and a suspension.

Fernandez Castano kicked off the fun and games following his opening round at this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The Spaniard said how the new rule “will take some time to get used to” before adding the punchline  “Unless you are Simon Dyson and you have been doing it for years.”

The bad blood between Fernandez-Castano and Dyson appears to be fully down to Dyson’s misdemeanour in 2013, as one year later on Twitter when the Spaniard was asked for his opinion on Dyson; he bluntly replied: “Used to like him, not anymore”.

Asked why he hadn’t tagged Dyson in his tweet yesterday, the Spaniard claimed that the Englishman had blocked him, before Dyson took to the stage, with a different rationale. In a since-deleted tweet, Dyson stated that Fernandez-Castano didn’t have the cojones (or something similar) and stated that the Spaniard is a “sad little man”.

After getting that off his chest, Dyson approached the incident differently, saying that he, unlike Fernandez-Caetano supposedly, had moved on from the affair which occurred six years ago.

Nothing quite like a good old confrontation on social media with a peer to begin your professional year, eh?

 

Your Reaction?
  • 11
  • LEGIT2
  • WOW0
  • LOL1
  • IDHT1
  • FLOP3
  • OB0
  • SHANK10

Continue Reading

19th Hole

19th Hole4 days ago

I wasn’t ready for the 2019 Rules of Golf

We weren’t ready. We thought we were, but we weren’t. For the last year, the USGA reminded us that in...
ho-sung-choi-swing ho-sung-choi-swing
19th Hole4 days ago

Tweets of the Week: Justin Rose shows off his Honma clubs, Justin Timberlake does Happy Gilmore and Barack Obama’s new swing

Over the last seven days, Matt Kuchar brought home the bacon at the Sony Open, while golf fans got a...
19th Hole1 week ago

Exploring Ireland: Where to golf, drink and stay on the Emerald Isle. Pt. 4. Bearna Golf Club, Galway

In these series of articles, I will be taking you around the Emerald Isle providing you with great golf courses...
19th Hole2 weeks ago

Tweets of the Week: Vijay Singh’s Workout, Bubba’s Putting, flagstick in or out dilemma

A stunning comeback from Xander Schauffele to win the Sentry Tournament of Champions quite rightly grabs the headlines today but...

Facebook

Trending