Tiger Woods will not take part in the Hero World Challenge 2024 The 15-time major winner was announced on social media on Monday. The annual tournament, hosted by Woods, will take place Dec. 5-8 at Albany golf Club in the Bahamas. While there was a spot available for him in the 20-man field, the 48-year-old has decided to forego his first competitive start since the Open and first since his sixth back surgery in September.
“The surgery went smoothly and I hope this will help relieve the back spasms and pain I experienced throughout most of the 2024 season,” Woods said at the time. “I look forward to beginning this rehab and preparing to return to normal life activities, including golf.”
In recent years, it has been the time when Tiger has emerged from his hibernation. Woods has played with his son Charlie in the PNC Championship for the past four years and made a stop at the Hero World Challenge in 2023 as he eyes a busier schedule for the upcoming PGA Tour season.
The 15-time major champion took part in his event for the first time since 2019 and put his game and physical endurance to the test. While Woods finished in 18th place with rounds of 75-70-71-72, he proved capable of running 72 holes of tournament golf and appeared to get stronger as the week went on. Unlike the PNC Championship, where golf carts are allowed, they are not allowed at the Hero World Challenge.
Woods believed that playing once a month was a “reasonable” goal in 2024, but unfortunately the ambitions were never achieved. He competed in five sanctioned tournaments and experienced the weekend once. After getting off to a solid start in his season debut at the Genesis Invitational, Woods withdrew from the tournament due to illness and back spasms during his second round. He wasn't seen again until the Masters, where he made the cut for the 24th consecutive time but ultimately finished last.
Missed cuts followed in the last three major championships of the season. Woods has only played in 10 official PGA Tour events since he was seriously injured and hospitalized following a car accident in February 2021. His last top-20 finish on the PGA Tour came at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open, just two starts after securing his 82nd career win at the Zozo Championship last fall.
