DUBAI // Tiger Woods was forced to withdraw before his second round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on Friday, with his management saying the former world No 1 was struggling with a “back spasm”.
Woods, a 14-time major champion and the biggest draw in the field this week, was due to tee off at 12.35pm, but his withdrawal was confirmed little more than an hour beforehand.
Making only his second appearance of 2017 as he attempts to overcome the effects of serious back injury, Woods looked troubled throughout Thursday’s opening round and eventually shot a five-over par 77. It was his worst day’s score in 29 rounds of the tournament, although he denied his back was to blame. Woods is a two-time winner of the Classic.
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“He felt OK coming off the course yesterday, so he wasn’t in pain,” Mark Steinberg, Woods’s manager, said just before Woods’s scheduled tee-time. “It went into spasm fairly late last night after dinner. Tried to work it out last night, didn’t really get it worked out. He had treatment pretty early this morning, and for probably the past three to three and a half hours.
“He says it’s not the nerve pain that’s kept him out for so long. He says it’s a back spasm, and he just can’t get the spasm to calm down. He feels awful and he feels terrible for the tournament.”
Woods, 41, will now look to recuperate fully before he is expected to next tee it up, at the Genesis Open in Los Angeles on February 16. He is scheduled to play the following week at the Honda Classic.
“Forget the long-term, the short-term prognosis is he hopes he’ll be strong, based on the fact it’s not that nerve pain,” Steinberg said, before he was asked if the 17-hour flight to Dubai had contributed to Woods’ back problem.
“I’m sure there’s so many different factors that could play into it. Look, he doesn’t have the strongest back in the world. So it’s probably easier to spasm because of the issues he’s had.”
The absence of Woods represents another blow for the Classic after world No 2 Rory McIlroy was forced out of the tournament because of a rib injury sustained last month.
Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice-chairman and CEO of ‘Golf in Dubai’, said: “Obviously, losing Tiger from the tournament is a big blow, but what is most important is his health — as it was with Rory. We don’t want him playing and doing any lasting damage. We wish him a speedy recovery.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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