Where will Tiger play next?
That question has not yet been answered as Tiger Woods, who is currently serving as host and competitor at the 2020 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, did not commit to next week’s World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship.
Earlier this week, during his Tuesday news conference, a reporter mentioned the WGC event in Mexico City and Woods said, “I have not answered that.”
The reporter then went ahead and directly asked Woods if he was planning to play and Woods smirked and repeated his words: “I have not answered that.”
Immediately following his second round on Friday, in which he shot a 73, Woods again deferred, saying he hadn’t had much time to think about Mexico due to all his duties as host and player this week.
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Woods has 18 career WGC titles but by failing to enter by the end of Friday’s second round, Woods made it official that his chase for a 19th will not come next week at Club de Golf Chapultepec.
He finished T-10 in the event a year ago, and along the way, produced one of the most memorable shots of that tournament.
It’s unclear where exactly we will see Tiger tee it up next.
But we can make some educated guesses:
Honda Classic
The Honda, despite being a home game for Woods and the start of the Florida Swing, will be a scheduling casualty as it is doubtful he will choose to play three in a row if he then signs up for the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship, as expected. That’s too much golf for his back and knee at this stage in his career.
Arnold Palmer, the Players
Woods missed the API last year. That has been a favorite hunting ground for him and the site of eight of his 82 victories. It’s a safe bet that if the body is willing this time, he’ll be there, and the week after is The Players Championship, where Woods is a two-time champion.
Valspar
In 2018, Woods finished second at the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook. The course fits his eye, but don’t count on Woods showing up. His focus is on the Masters and he’s going to want to stay fresh and avoid overdoing it.
Dell Match Play
In 2019, Woods made his final tuneup for Augusta at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas. There’s the potential to have to play a lot of golf should Woods go far in the competition, including 36 on Saturday, so his participation here could be subject to change.
The Masters
All of this leads up to April 9, and Tiger’s defense of the green jacket. That can’t come soon enough, but there should be a respectable number of early-season starts to see Woods.
Adam Schupak contributed to this article.
