It has evolved from a question of “wither” to “whether”.
Fading former world No 1 Tiger Woods is thought to be holed up at his home, which is located about 20 minutes from the scene of this week’s Florida swing opener, at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens.
His game in tatters and his confidence at low ebb, Woods announced last week that he would not play in his hometown event, offering no insight into when he will return to the game over which he held almost complete dominion for the previous 19 seasons.
Three weeks ago, Woods limped off the course at Torrey Pines, citing a back injury, which came a week after he posted the highest score of his career, an 82, and hit shots that would have made a 20-handicapper go ballistic.
It was clear that he needed a massive makeover, both physically and psychologically.
Even for those who have made careers out of anticipating what Woods will do next, it is guesswork as to when Woods will return, much less where.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational is in three weeks and Woods has won it eight times. The Masters begins on April 9.
Meanwhile, his stock plummets. Woods has skidded to 70th in the world, his worst ranking since his rookie season, in 1996.
His lowly position means he is not eligible to play at next week’s World Golf Championships event, at Doral.
Many have moved past projecting when he will play in 2015, and have begun asking whether he will play at all.
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