Will Tiger Woods tee up at the Players Championship? It looks like he’s made up his mind

It looks like we won’t see Tiger Woods before the Masters, after all…

If you were hoping to see Tiger Woods at next week’s Players Championship, you’re about to be very disappointed.

The 15-time major champion hasn’t teed up since last year’s Open Championship, and was due to return to PGA Tour action at the Genesis Invitational in February before pulling out due to the death of his mother.

Since missing the cut at Royal Troon and undergoing a sixth back procedure in September, the only thing close to resembling competitive golf that Woods has played is the PNC Championship with his son Charlie, the Seminole Pro-Member alongside former PGA of America chief Seth Waugh, and the TGL as part of his Jupiter Links team.

And it was during the final regular season match of the simulator golf league on Tuesday night when Woods dropped a bombshell about his plans to peg up in the near future.

Asked by Sports Illustrated if he plans to get some pre-Masters prep in at TPC Sawgrass, Woods’ response was rather blunt: “Not really.”

He added. “This is the third time I’ve touched a club since my mom passed, so I haven’t really gotten into it.

“My heart is really not into practicing right now. I’ve had so many other things to do with the Tour and trying to do other things.

“Once I start probably feeling a little bit better and start getting into it, I’ll start looking at the schedule.”

Woods, who is exempt for the Players Championship thanks to his victory at the Masters in 2019, has until Friday at 5pm ET to commit to the PGA Tour’s flagship event.

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Despite being thrashed by Atlanta Drive, Woods was all smiles during what will be his final TGL appearance for at least a year after Jupiter Links, along with co-founder Rory McIlroy’s Boston Common, failed to reach the playoffs.

At one point he asked Jupiter teammate Tom Kim when he was born.

“2002,” came the Korean’s reply.

Woods came back quick as a flash. “So I had won the Masters three times before you were born,” he said.

He may have lost the heart to practice, but he hasn’t lost the ability to flex.