UPDATE (2:55 p.m. ET): Tiger Woods officially has withdrawn from the Safeway Open.
Woods announced his decision Monday on his website.
“After a lot of soul searching and honest reflection, I know that I am not yet ready to play on the PGA TOUR or compete in Turkey, Woods wrote. “My health is good, and I feel strong, but my game is vulnerable and not where it needs to be.
“When I announced last week I was going to Safeway, I had every intention of playing, or I wouldn’t have committed. I spent a week with the U.S. Ryder Cup Team, an honor and experience that inspired me even more to play. I practiced the last several days in California, but after a lot of hours, I knew I wasn’t ready to compete against the best golfers in the world. I will continue to work hard, and plan to play at my foundation’s event, the Hero World Challenge, in Albany.
“I would like to apologize and send my regrets to Safeway, the Turkish Airlines Open, the fans in California and Turkey and those that had hoped to watch me compete on TV. This isn’t what I wanted to happen, but I will continue to strive to be able to play tournament golf. I’m close, and I won’t stop until I get there.”
ORIGINAL STORY: So much for that Tiger Woods comeback.
Woods is expected to withdraw from this week’s Safeway Open, multiple sources told the Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte on Monday.
Woods, who was a vice captain at the Ryder Cup, was supposed to make his triumphant return to the golf course at Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif., this weekend after not competing since the 2015 Wyndham Championship. He’s undergone two back surgeries since then, but Rosaforte added that the decision was performance related and not due to his health.
And it appears this setback could impact more upcoming events for Woods, too.
Thumbnail photo via Rob Schumacher/USA TODAY Sports Images
