Tiger Woods makes risky Masters decision as PGA Tour plan goes out the window

After missing the Valspar Championship, it is seeming more likely Tiger Woods will compete in the Masters in April, thus throwing his proposed plan for the 2024 season out of the window

Tiger Woods will most likely compete in the Masters next (Image: Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Tiger Woods has thrown his proposed plan for the 2024 season out of the window with his latest move.

The golf legend did not sign up for the Valspar Championship, which means it is becoming more likely that the next time Woods will be on the links will be at the Masters in mid-April. Unless Woods makes a surprise appearance at the Houston Open at the end of the month, which he has never done before, it is becoming more clear that the 48-year-old will skip all competitions in March to prepare for the Masters.

In doing so, Woods will be breaking his proposed plan for this season. In December 2023, Woods proclaimed that his goal for 2024 was to play in one tournament every month to get himself back into playing shape after a 2021 car crash in California seriously injured his leg. “Once a month seems reasonable,” Woods told the Golf channel at the time.

“It gives me a couple of weeks to recover and a week to tune up. Maybe I can get into the rhythm.” For a time, it appeared as if the 15-time major winner looked to be on the right track, signing up and competing in The Genesis Invitational in February.

However, his comeback bid was cut short after he was forced to withdraw from the event in the second round by what he defined as the flu. “I would like to confirm that I had to withdraw from @thegenesisinv due to illness, which we now know is influenza,” he posted.

“I am resting and feeling better. Good luck to the players this weekend. I’m disappointed to not be there and want to thank @GenesisUSA and all the fans for the support.”

Tiger Woods withdrew from The Genesis Invitational after dealing with an illness ( Image: Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Woods also was absent from The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass, after deciding not to partake in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The Players initially was one of the events that Woods had planned to participate in but that was not the case.

“I think that the best scenario would be maybe a tournament a month. I think that’s realistic,” he said in December. “You would have to start with maybe at Genesis and then something in March near the Players.

“Again, we have it set up right now the biggest events are one per month. It sets itself up for that. Now, I need to get myself ready for all that. I think this week is a big step in that direction.”

With so many injury concerns, many golf fans have pondered Woods’ future on the tour. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan offered an insight into the legendary golfer’s status and what the rest of the year could hold for Woods.

“I think you all know Tiger well enough to know that he wants to earn his way into every competition. That’s his makeup,” Monahan said if he would introduce a special category for past champions to participate. “But I think as you go forward, as you evolve as an organization, you think about how do you serve and satisfy a rabid fan base?

“Those discussions, more broadly, would likely be held at the policy board meeting. And I’m sure we would have that discussion. But he’d be the hardest one to convince.”