Tiger Woods likely to miss Arnold Palmer Invitation amid big schedule update following mother’s death

Tiger Woods has just committed to playing in next week's TGL match. This likely means that he won't be in the field next weekend for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The Signature Event is set to get underway on March 6, which would be just two days after his team's TGL bout with Atlanta Drive.

This could, however, clear him up to play in the Players Championship. Assuming Woods and the rest of Jupiter Links GC are eliminated next week, he'd have no other commitments before the Players, which will be held the week after the Arnold Palmer.

These two Signature Events are back-to-back, which is a workload level that Woods hasn't been able to withstand for a few years. He'd likely have to choose one over the other, though he has an exemption into all Signature Events.

Given that next week's outing is probably the last on TGL for this year for Woods since the team needs a win and a New York loss to get into the playoffs, the schedule lines up well for the 82-time PGA Tour winner to play the Players, which is often referred to as the fifth unofficial Major in golf.

Woods himself hasn't commented on this, but the deadline for the Arnold Palmer Invitational is tonight (February 28), and he hasn't committed as of this writing. With the TGL match before and the Players right after, he's probably not playing at the Bay Hill Golf Course.

Woods has been away from the action for a bit in the wake of his mother's death. He missed last week's TGL outing and withdrew from the Genesis Invitational earlier this month, but his recommitment to TGL suggests that he's about ready to play on Tour once more. The Players remains the most likely season debut for the legendary golfer at this time.

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Tiger Woods addressed skipping key TGL match

Earlier this week, Tiger Woods' TGL team suffered a devastating blow. With Woods not in the lineup, the team lost to the unbeaten Bay GC, led by Wyndham Clark, Min Woo Lee, and Shane Lowry.

Tiger Woods skipped the last TGL outing (Image via Imagn)

The loss put the team's playoff hopes on thin ice, as Jupiter Links will now need help to get into the first-ever TGL postseason. For Woods, though, it wasn't about that. He needed some time off to continue mourning the death of his mother.

Tiger Woods also skipped the Genesis Invitational. He said it was even hard driving down to the event. Via SB Nation, he revealed:

“I hadn’t hit a golf ball since I played with the President and just put everything away and shut it off. I had a really hard time getting here and then reliving all the moments that we’ve had, my mom, how excited she was to have Charlie drive her here. So those are some great moments and great memories. It’s been a hard process.”

Now, it looks like Woods is close to being ready to compete again after such a difficult experience.