Tiger Woods delivered a blow to the buzz for next week’s Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte when word leaked out Tuesday that he plans to skip the event this year.
Woods usually takes three full weeks off after the Masters and, because of a change in the PGA Tour schedule this year, Wells Fargo is being played on the third week after the season’s first major championship.
Woods did not comment on his schedule change, but his agent, Mark Steinberg confirmed it to the Associated Press late yesterday.
Woods won at Quail Hollow in 2007, but has missed the cut the last two times he played (2010 and last year), which also could have something to do with his decision to skip the event, which annually draws one of the most elite fields of the year. Despite Woods’ absence the field remains strong, featuring Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson. Defending champion Rickie Fowler, who outdueled McIlroy down the stretch, reigning U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson and 2012 Masters winner Bubba Watson are in the field. So, too, are Lee Westwood (No. 12 in the world rankings), Hunter Mahan (No. 22), Nick Watney (23) and Jim Furyk (26).
Woods tends to gravitate toward venues where he has had past success, such as Bay Hill, Doral and Firestone, where he has won multiple times at all places. So the change in the tournament’s schedule from four weeks to three weeks after the Masters might serve as a ready-made excuse to avoid the venue this time around.
Nevertheless, Woods’ absence comes as a surprise.
Tournament executive director Kym Hougham recently told the Charlotte Observer he was confident Woods would compete this year.
“Every year Tiger hasn’t been hurt, he’s played here and he doesn’t usually change his schedule much year to year,” Hougham said. “If you look historically, we would anticipate he would be here. We’re hoping … he’s coming. We feel good that he is.”
Woods missed the tournament in 2011 while recovering from knee and Achilles injuries. But before the two missed cuts, his worst finish had been a tie for 11th.
Woods has not played at Quail Hollow four times, skipping the first one in 2003, withdrawing when his father died in 2006 and he was hurt in 2008 and ’11.