Woods Uncertain for WGC-Cadillac Championship


After pulling out during the final round of the Honda Classic last Sunday, it's still unknown whether Tiger Woods will be healthy enough to play in this week's WGC-Cadillac Championship. The $9 million event starts Thursday on the newly remodeled - and renamed - Trump National Doral in Miami, Fla.

On Monday, Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, told ESPN.com on Monday that the top-ranked player in the world was "receiving treatment" for lower-back spasms and his status was "up in the air" for the tournament, where he's the defending champion.

Woods was originally scheduled to meet with reporters at 1 p.m. Tuesday, but his news conference was delayed 24 hours to Wednesday at the same time. By then, he should have better information on how well the injury has responded to treatment.

Woods said in a statement that he began feeling discomfort on the range at PGA National Sunday morning and that the pain intensified as the day progressed. He noted the pain arose from the same place as at The Barclays last summer when he suffered back spasms in the final round so severe that he fell to his knees in pain. Though he finished second behind Adam Scott in that tournament, the ailment plagued him through the next two events.

If he returns, Woods will be gunning for his fifth victory at Doral's famed "Blue Monster" course. But he - and the rest of the field - won't find the same layout as, after Donald Trump took over ownership of the resort last year, he hired architect Gil Hanse and invested millions in revitalizing the course.

The project involved the addition of new greens, traps, tees, lakes and infrastructure, along with spectator improvements that involved shifting over a million yards of earth to enhance viewing. The practice facility is now five times bigger than the former area and includes a new driving range along with short-game, chipping and putting areas.

If Scott wins this week in the 72-hole, no-cut event, he has a chance to supplant Woods at No. 1 and reach that position for the first time in his career.