Tiger Woods withdrawls from Honda; bad back could hinder Masters prep

Tiger Woods withdrew midway through the final round of the Honda Classic on Sunday, citing lower-back spasms. Woods was 5 over par through 13 holes when he pulled out of the tournament.

The world No. 1 said in a statement that he was in discomfort during warm-ups and that the issue was similar to what he experienced during last year’s Barclays, when he fell to his knees in pain during the final round.

On Sunday, Woods repeatedly stretched his back but did not wince after any shot. He putted out on the 13th hole, shook hands with his fellow playing competitor, Luke Guthrie, and was taken away in a white van. This is his seventh career WD, and fourth in the past five years.

Questions about the state of his game heading into the year’s first major morphed into serious doubts about his short- and long-term health Sunday after the world No. 1 withdrew after 13 poorly played holes at the Honda Classic.

There were signs of trouble early and often at PGA National. Even before teeing off in the final round Woods was stretching and twisting his lower back. Afterward, in a statement, he confirmed that the injury had caused him discomfort since his warm-up on the range.

Then, after walking off the ninth green, he stopped and talked for about 15 seconds with girlfriend Lindsey Vonn, who had slipped inside the ropes. It was an unusual exchange in the middle of a round, and in hindsight it’s reasonable to assume they were discussing his health and a possible exit strategy.

About an hour later, Vonn was seen hobbling through the parking lot with Woods’ 5-year-old son Charlie. Soon after, and with the media waiting nearby, Woods was dropped off in a white van. He chatted briefly with his spokesman, Glenn Greenspan, before slowly heading toward the passenger seat of a black Mercedes SUV.

Oh, just a reminder: The Masters is only 39 days away.

Back spasms was the official reason for his withdrawal. The severity of the injury is unknown – in a statement Woods said that it’s similar to what he experienced at the Barclays last fall, when he fell to his knees after hitting a shot – and it’s unlikely he would fully divulge that information even if he did return to action next week at Doral.