Tiger won't host PGA event as treatment continues
Tiger Woods will miss this week's PGA National, skipping his usual host role while continuing treatments to manage pain medications after an impaired driving arrest last month, tournament officials said Monday.
The former world number one, whose charity foundation stages the event, was arrested May 29 near his Florida home for impaired driving. A breathalyzer test showed no sign of alcohol but police video showed Woods struggling to answer questions.
Woods later said he did not realize how prescription drugs might interact and last week said he had sought treatment to cope with medications to ease back pain and sleep issues.
"I'm currently receiving professional help to manage my medications and the ways that I deal with back pain and a sleep disorder," Woods tweeted.
Tournament officials confirmed that Woods, 41, would not attend the National due to ongoing treatment. The 14-time major winner will be updated about the event during the week.
Woods has only played the National twice since 2012 because of injuries and was not slated to be in the field this year.
In April, Woods announced he had undergone his fourth back operation since 2014 to ease back and leg pain and would miss the remainder of the season.
Woods made his comeback last December in the Bahamas but has played only twice this year, missing the cut at Torrey Pines and withdrawing from a European Tour event in Dubai last February.
Woods, whose 79 career PGA wins are three shy of Sam Snead's all-time record, has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open and has not won any event since the 2013 World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational.
Top players have supported Woods as he fights to return after a mug shot seen around the world and years of struggles with back pain.
"I think we all want him to do what's best for him," world number three Jordan Spieth said last week.
"We all want him to be better. We want him to be healthy and we want him to be back out here. So whatever needs to happen for that to happen he knows and I'm sure he's doing it."
World number four Rory McIlroy has offered his support to Woods in his latest fightback bid.
"It's a tough one," McIlroy said last week. "I reached out to him whenever everything broke a few weeks ago and just making sure he was OK. He's OK. He has gone through a rough time the last few years with injuries and being in pain and not being able to sleep. I totally understand how that can happen.
"So it's good that he's getting help. It's good that he's on the road to recovery... he has felt an outpouring of love over the past few weeks after all this happened and he really appreciates that."
Woods said as much last week, tweeting, "I want to thank everyone for the amazing outpouring of support and understanding, especially the fans and players on tour."