Tiger Woods is officially back. The 15-time major champion announced on Twitter Thursday that he will play in next week’s Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.
I’m looking forward to playing in the @MemorialGolf next week. I’ve missed going out and competing with the guys and can’t wait to get back out there.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) July 9, 2020
The event marks Woods’ first PGA Tour start since the Genesis Invitational in February and his first televised appearance since The Match II in mid-May.
The Memorial always seemed like a likely destination for Woods’ return following the PGA Tour restart in early June. Tiger has won the event hosted by Jack Nicklaus five times and played at Muirfield each of the past two seasons.
As for his performance, the state of Woods’ golf game is anyone’s guess. In February, he finished dead-last at the Genesis two weeks before withdrawing from the Players Championship (another frequent stop on the Tiger rota) due to a back issue.
At the time, Woods and his agent, Mark Steinberg, insisted it was nothing serious.
“Back just not ready,” Steinberg said. “Not concerning long term, just not ready.”
It was not an easy decision, but I will not be attending @THEPLAYERSChamp. I have to listen to my body and properly rest when needed. My back is simply just not ready for play next week. I'm sad to miss one of the best events of the season, OUR Championship.
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) March 6, 2020
In May, Woods’ performance at The Match II silenced (for the moment) any questions about his game from the winter. Tiger produced as close to a vintage performance as is possible in a made-for-TV charity exhibition. He striped the ball all over his home course, Medalist Golf Club, hitting every fairway and contributing his fair share of club twirls.
At the Memorial, Woods joins a loaded field featuring Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth and last year’s winner, Patrick Cantlay.
