Tiger Woods won’t be working next week.
The reigning Masters champion and 15-time major champion did not commit to the Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, by Friday’s 5 p.m. ET deadline. Woods did not issue a statement.
The tournament replaces the John Deere Classic, which was canceled due to COVID restrictions in Illinois. The Workday Charity Open is the first of two consecutive weeks of play at Muirfield Village – the Dublin Double, if you will.
After Workday, the club will host The Memorial, Jack Nicklaus’ annual bash that attracts scores of the game’s best players. Woods is expected by many in golf’s circles to resume play in The Memorial, which he has won a record five times.
Woods last played – and played well – in The Match: Champions for Charity on May 24, where he and Peyton Manning defeated Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady on the final hole. But he hasn’t been seen on the PGA Tour since Feb. 16, when he shot a final-round 77 to finish in last place at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club north of Los Angeles.
In his only other Tour start this year, Woods, who is seeking his record 83rd PGA Tour title, tied for ninth in the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.
While Woods won’t be playing Workday, another strong field will head to the Buckeye State, including world No. 4 Justin Thomas and No. 5 Brooks Koepka, the reigning PGA Championship winner.
Joining those two from the top 10 are Patrick Reed (No. 7) and Patrick Cantlay (No. 9). World No. 11 Xander Schauffele, No. 13 Justin Rose, No. 16 Marc Leishman, No. 18 and reigning U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland and No. 19 Matt Kuchar also are in the field.
Five-time major champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member Phil Mickelson will try to win for the first time since turning 50 on June 16. The field is further bolstered by Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Sungjae Im, Hideki Matsuyama, Bubba Watson, Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland.
The course will be intriguing to watch, too. Due to consecutive weeks of play, measures will be taken to limit wear and tear on the course. According to a memo sent to players, Workday will feature a variety of tee boxes that are expected to make the course shorter while protecting tee areas normally used for The Memorial; rough 3½ inches tall; and green surfaces running about 11 on the Stimpmeter. The Memorial will have higher rough and green speeds are planned to increase to 13-13½ on the Stimpmeter.
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