Could Tiger Woods play in Cognizant if son, Charlie, qualifies? One possible strategy | D'Angelo

Tiger Woods has had plenty of reasons to skip the Cognizant Classic since last playing the event, then the Honda Classic, in 2018.

Surgeries on his ankle and back. A horrific car accident in 2021 resulted in serious injuries to his right leg, ankle and foot. Scheduling conflicts with Cognizant, which includes the several high-profile tournaments including a World Golf Championship event, the Players and Tiger's tournament, the Genesis Invitational.

But this year Tiger might have the best reason of all to make a surprise appearance in the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.

Tiger's 15-year-old son, Charlie, is playing in a Cognizant pre-qualifier Thursday morning at Lost Lake Golf Club in Hobe Sound. Charlie's daunting pathway to Cognizant would mean becoming one of five players and ties from the 120-field pre-qualifier Thursday to advance to the final qualifier Monday at Tesoro Club in Port St. Lucie. Then finishing in the top four Monday to earn a spot in the field for the Feb. 29-March 3 event at PGA National.

If Charlie makes it through both qualifying stages, he’ll make his first start on the PGA Tour at 15 years, 21 days old. He would not be the youngest ever to play in a PGA Tour event, but he would be the youngest in his family.

Tiger made his Tour debut at Riviera Country Club in 1992 at 16 years, 1 month and 28 days old.

And if that happens, doesn't his famous father, winner of 14-majors and a record-tying 82 PGA Tour events, have to find a way to turn the inaugural Cognizant Classic into one of the more historical tournaments in PGA Tour history?

Here's how it can be done.

Of course, this is not possible unless Charlie makes it through Thursday's pre-qualifier. If that happens, with a Friday afternoon deadline to enter Cognizant, Tiger cannot wait to see if he is in the top 4 of the Monday qualifier.

The first step is Tiger committing Friday ... and then waiting.

If Charlie makes history and becomes the fourth-youngest to play in a PGA Tour event - the youngest is Guan Tianlang, a golfer from China who was 14 years, five months, 18 days when he competed in the 2013 Masters and made the cut, finishing 58th - Tiger, 48, probably will not be satisfied being in the gallery.

Watching Charlie help the Benjamin School win a state tournament in Howey-in-the-Hills in November is one thing. Doing so when he could be on the course as his son is making history is another.

And we all know Tiger enjoys playing with Charlie. The two have paired up in PNC Championship in Orlando four times, an event Tiger cherishes playing with Charlie. Team Woods finished tied for fifth at the PNC in December.

And Charlie and Tiger have spent more time together on the course recently with Tiger recovering from ankle surgery last April and Charlie now able to compete with his dad.

The bigger issue would be Tiger fitting Cognizant into a schedule he hopes maximizes his chances at the majors. Tiger revealed his desire to play once a month starting with Genesis in February and then likely including the Players in March before four majors - Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, British Open - the next four months.

But that did not work out for Tiger at Genesis. Six holes into Friday's second round he left the course, taken by cart to the clubhouse where he was administered an IV after feeling dizzy and dehydrated. Tiger was suffering from the flu and took off the rest of the weekend.

Figuring he'd get in 72 holes at the limited cut event, he only played 24.

This means if he is at the Players, the most competitive full rounds he would play this year prior to the Masters is five, and just three if he misses the cut at TPC Sawgrass.

The Champion Course at PGA National would not be the worst for Tiger to play. The course is flat, meaning the walk, which has been Tiger's biggest issue with his reconstructed leg and ankle, would not be as challenging.

And the Champ would be as good a test for Augusta as any course he would play. Many have said through the years playing at PGA National is a nice tune-up for the Masters.

"The golf course is one of the most demanding we see all year," Gary Woodland said. "I think you play well there, you can play well anywhere. So that's why I like to go."

The numbers support that. The average winning score in the last 10 Cognizant Classics is 9.4-under par. The average winning score in the last 10 Masters played in April is 10.9-under.

And Tiger is not locked into Cognizant if he enters Friday. If Charlie advanced to the Monday qualifying and then does not finish in the top four out of the 100 or so golfers attempting to play their way into Cognizant, he could withdraw.

So it's all set up. Doesn't Tiger have to give himself a chance to play with his son if Charlie is on the verge of making history?

Tom D'Angelo is a sports columnist and reporter at The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @tomdangelo44.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Could Tiger Woods play PGA Tour's Cognizant Classic if son does?