Tiger Woods could still play in this week’s US PGA Championship after his agent revealed it was “way too early” to make a decision on the 14-time major winner’s back injury.
Woods became a doubt for the year’s fourth major when he withdrew from the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational during Sunday’s final round.
The 38-year-old American looked in severe pain from his back after hitting his tee shot on the 494-yard ninth and was soon leaving the course, prompting questions over both his long and short-term future.
Read more: US Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson worried about latest Tiger Woods’ back injury
But Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg confirmed on Monday night that a decision was yet to be made on his participation at Valhalla, although Tuesday’s press conference, scheduled for 9.30am local time, was postponed.
“Way too early,” Steinberg said in a text sent to reporters.
“He has to rest and get treatment and then assess later. Pointless to make that decision now without proper time to give him best chance.
“Nothing further today, maybe (not) even tomorrow.”
Woods was playing just his third tournament since undergoing microdiscectomy surgery on March 31 when he withdrew in Ohio and has not won a major since the 2008 US Open.
He had previously spoken about being “pain-free” for the first time in two years, but said on Wednesday that other people who had undergone the same surgery “had no idea” how he was able to play again so quickly.
Should the current injury prove to be serious, Woods would be a major doubt for next month’s Ryder Cup.
United States captain Tom Watson has already stressed that Woods does not merit a place on the team simply by being healthy enough to swing a club and admits his current problem could further damage his chances of selection.
“Tiger would be a great addition to our team,” Watson told PGA Tour Radio. “As I’ve said all along, I would pick Tiger Woods if he’s healthy and playing well.
“This doesn’t bode well right now.
“I just hope that maybe it’s just an isolated problem that he can turn around and possibly play this week at the PGA.”
Thomas Bjorn eyeing PGA glory at Valhalla
Only two men finished ahead of Thomas Bjorn the last time Valhalla staged the US PGA Championship in 2000, but neither of them may be able to make the return journey to Kentucky this week.
Runner-up Bob May, who lost to Tiger Woods in a three-hole play-off, will certainly not be there after missing several years following back surgery and, after a brief comeback, losing his PGA Tour card in 2007.
And Woods himself is a major doubt after pulling out of Sunday’s final round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational with severe back spasms in just his third event since his own back surgery on March 31.
Bjorn has had injury problems of his own throughout his career but finds himself on the verge of a return to Ryder Cup action for the first time since 2002.
The 43-year-old has occupied an automatic qualifying spot since winning the Nedbank Golf Challenge in December last year, but dropped out of the European points list recently and is now relying on the world rankings list.
“I’m playing the US PGA and then the new European Tour event in Denmark the week after and hopefully that’s it,” Bjorn told Press Association Sport. “I feel like I’ve played a lot of golf and I would like to think by the end of Denmark I’m set for the Ryder Cup, but if I’m not I’ll have to reconsider.”
As for his memories of 2000, when he shot rounds of 72, 68, 67 and 68 to finish five shots out of the play-off, Bjorn added: “All I remember is Tiger and Bob May running ahead and it almost became just a battle between them.
“I remember playing really well and I liked the golf course so it’s a nice place to go when you’ve put in a good performance. The course fitted my eye very well.”
If the course fits Rory McIlroy’s eye as well the rest of the field could be playing for second place, the 25-year-old having moved back to number one in the world by winning his last two events, the Open and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
“He’s different class when he plays at that level, he takes so much advantage of the good sides of his game and when he’s on he’s very difficult to handle,” Bjorn added. “It almost becomes Tiger Woods-like.
“You’ve just got to know there’s gotta to be weeks when he’s not like that and that’s when you get your chances. Rory puts in great performances but he also has times where it’s not so good and that’s the nature of the game.”
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