“I only got two rounds in LA” – When Tiger Woods gave unique reason for playing the Valspar Championship 2018 and skyrocketing its viewership

Tiger Woods is not competing at this year's Valspar Championship, but the only time he played here, he didn't leave before making it a memorable visit for himself as well as for the fans.

Woods' only appearance at the Copperhead Course came in 2018, where he finished joint runner-up after losing to Paul Casey by a stroke margin. His presence on all four days helped the otherwise ordinary event attract record viewership.

Before the Valspar Championship, Woods was searching for form as he was returning from lower right back fusion surgery. He made a T23 finish at the Farmers Insurance Open, missed the cut at the Genesis, and achieved a T12 finish at the Honda Classic, respectively.

In need of practice ahead of the Masters Tournament, Woods decided to enter the playing field for the Valspar Championship. As a result, the tournament drew huge attendance from fans as well as the interest of sponsors. During the pre-event press conference, Woods revealed the reason behind his participation at the Copperhead Course.

"To be honest with you, I only got two rounds in in LA," he said. "I missed the cut there. I felt really strong afterwards. I didn't know how I was going to feel. After playing Honda and really feeling good about it, I wanted to push myself in my practice sessions, which I did, pushed myself in the gym a little bit and I can handle two weeks in a row."

Over the four days, Tiger Woods shot 70, 68, 67, and 70 in the Valspar Championship. He was ahead of Casey after 54 holes, but the latter shot 6-under 65 to lift the trophy. The following week, he made a T5 finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. However, he couldn't do that well at the Augusta National, as he made a T35 finish at the event.

---

When will Tiger Woods play next?

Tiger Woods hasn't played any event this season except the 24 holes at the Genesis Invitational before pulling out due to the flu. He is most likely to return to action at the Masters Tournament, which will take place from April 11 to 14 at the Agusta National.

Tiger Woods is a five-time winner of the Green Jacket, and another will help him equal Jack Nicklaus' record of the most wins at the Agusta National. He also has eyes on his 18-major record, as he is still three titles behind. Further, if he wins another title, he will become the winningest player on the PGA Tour, surpassing Sam Snead's tally of 82.