AKRON, OHIO // In his third tournament since returning from back surgery, former world No 1 Tiger Woods injured himself on the second hole of the Bridgestone Invitational yesterday and withdrew in the middle of the round, leaving his status at the season’s final major next week in jeopardy.
After an awkward slash at the ball in a bunker on the second hole, Woods fell back toward the sand and landed awkwardly.
“I just jarred it, and it’s been spasming ever since,” Woods told a PGA Tour official before leaving Firestone Country Club.
He kept playing, hitting a number of shockingly bad shots, including a shot into the water on the third hole, some 30 yards short of dry land.
After hitting a 315-yard tee shot into the left rough on No 9, he grimaced at impact, stooped over, then reached toward his back.
Moments later, he stepped into an electric cart and headed to the parking lot. At his car, Woods could barely change out of his golf shoes. Whether it was a recurrence of the old injury is unclear, as is his status going forward.
“It’s the whole lower back,” he said. “I don’t know what happened.”
Woods had back surgery March 31 to alleviate an impinged nerve, forcing him to miss the Masters for the first time, and the US Open. He returned June 26 and reported no pain at the Quicken Loans National, where he missed the cut by four shots, or at the British Open, where he wound up 69th – his worst 72-hole finish in a major.
Woods won the PGA Championship in 1999, the last time it was held at next week’s venue, Valhalla. It also put a dent in his hopes of receiving a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup.
US Ryder captain Tom Watson has said that he wants Woods on the team, provided that he is healthy and playing well. Right now, he is not playing at all.