Tiger Woods will not be playing at the PGA Tour’s next stop, the 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson in Dallas, Texas. The 15-time major champion has competed only twice this year, as unavoidable health issues have left his career in doubt. Woods participated at the 2023 Masters last month, from which he had to withdraw.
Woods had to withdraw during round 3 of the Masters after aggravating his plantar faciitis. Amid the unrelenting and demanding conditions, Woods was visibly struggling to walk. Ultimately, the pain seemed to be too much for the veteran, and he had to remove himself from the tournament before risking further injury.
Ahead of the 2023 Masters, Tiger Woods said via CBS Golf,
"I don't know how many more I have in me. So, just to be able to appreciate the time that I have here and cherish the memories [is a positive]. But still, to just look at the golf course, it looks like it's been here for over a hundred years and hasn't changed, and each and every year we come here, everything has changed since I first played here."
Tiger Woods finished with a T45 at the Genesis Invitational in February 2023, which the seemed to suggest a promising start for the year. Jumping up 32 spots over the course of that weekend, Woods had fans at the edge of their seats. Even though Woods did not win, he expressed his satisfaction at being able to play. With his 14 appearance winless streak continuing, Woods said via USA Golfweek:
“It was progress, but obviously, I didn’t win. My streak continues here at Riv. I felt like the first couple days I left certainly a lot of shots out there with some putts, especially Friday when I was blocking everything. Yesterday was better. Still wish I could have gotten within a touch of the leaders, but today, they’re running away with it.”
Tiger Woods undergoes ankle surgery as his future in golf hangs in the balance
After limping away from the 2023 Masters, Tiger Woods underwent a type of ankle surgery known as subtalar fusion in order to fix the issues he was facing with his leg. Following a successful surgery, the golfer is looking forward to rehabilitation, and possibly getting back on course.
However, Woods might not make it for any of the remaining Majors this year, seeing that the recovery time for the procedure is anywhere between 8 to 12 weeks. With no clear comeback chalked out for Woods, his agent Mark Steinberg said via ESPN:
"The first goal is to recover and lead a much more enjoyable day-to-day life."
Tiger Woods will not be participating at the 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson. However, World No. 2 Scottie Scheffler is a favorite to win, and back-to-back defending champion KH Lee is also on everybody’s radar.