The eyes of Texas – and the golf world – will be upon revered Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth next week when the PGA Tour resumes play after a three-month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
No one, however, will see Tiger Woods.
The game’s biggest star and reigning Masters champion didn’t commit to the Charles Schwab Challenge by the Friday deadline of 5 p.m., ET. He didn’t publicly make a statement explaining his decision not to go to Hogan’s Alley.
Woods last played in The Match: Champions for Charity on May 24, where he and Peyton Manning defeated Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady at The Medalist in Hobe Sound, Florida. Woods last played on the PGA Tour on 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.
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Even without Woods, the strongest field in tournament history will show up at Colonial, led by world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, who has six top-5 finishes on the PGA Tour this season, including a victory in the WGC-HSBC Champions last fall.
He’ll be joined by World No. 2 Jon Rahm, No. 3 and reigning PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka, No. 4 Justin Thomas and No. 5 Dustin Johnson. It will be the first time the tournament will feature the top 5 players in the world since the Official World Ranking began in 1986.
Other top-10 players in the field include No. 7 Patrick Reed and No. 9 Webb Simpson, both major champions. In all, 16 of the top 20 will be at Colonial, and 70 of the top 100.
Further, 24 major champions are in the field of 148, including two-time Masters champion and PGA Tour Champions star Bernhard Langer. The past five players who have won the tournament are in: defending champion Kevin Na, major champion Justin Rose, Kevin Kisner, three-time major winner Jordan Spieth and Chris Kirk.
Reigning U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland and reigning Open champion Shane Lowry are also playing. Further star power is bolstered by five-time major champion Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Bryson DeChambeau, major winners Jason Day and Sergio Garcia, Tony Finau, Matt Kuchar, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter and Xander Schauffele.
In all, 101 of the players have won on the PGA Tour, the most winners in field outside of the Players Championship during the FedEx Cup era.
The Charles Schwab Challenge is the first PGA Tour event since the Players Championship, which was canceled March 13 after the first round. Eleven tournaments with more that $90 million in purse money have been canceled.
Next week’s event – which will be the 75th PGA Tour event held at Colonial – features a $7.5 million purse. The event will be played without spectators. Strict safety and health protocols will be in place at Colonial.
The next tournament where Woods could make his first Tour start since February would be the RBC Heritage June 18-21 on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. The 15-time major winner is seeking his record 83rd PGA Tour title. He has played just twice this year—a tie for ninth in the Farmers Insurance Open and a finish of 68th in the Genesis Invitational.
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