Woods Withdraws From 2014 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Earlier this afternoon Tiger Woods withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational citing the continual back problems that have plagued him in his previous two appearances on the PGA Tour this year.

Woods, 38, who won for an eighth time at Bay Hill a year ago, tweeted the news and also announced it on his website. In a brief message Woods said “I personally called Arnold today to tell him that, sadly, I won’t be able to play in his tournament this year. I would like to express my regrets to the Orlando fans, the volunteers, the tournament staff and the sponsors for having to miss the event. Unfortunately, my back spasms and the pain haven’t subsided.”

Woods withdrew from the Honda Classic after 13 holes on March 2 and then struggled to complete his final round at the WGC- Cadiallac Championship in Miami the following week.

Undoubtedly that will disappoint many Orlando golf fans but the field is still extremely strong and some great golf will still be on offer for those fans who want to enjoy some sunshine and a gentle stroll around the manicured Bay Hill property.

World number two Adam Scott and number three Henrik Stenson will be pushing for victory. At a press conference earlier in the day he explained how his form had been affected so far in 2014 by fatigue. He then went onto entertain the media with stories of his son’s birthday party last week and how it was his idea to bring in some animals after checking a party website. “So I don’t know if you should call me Doctor Dolittle or something. They came out with a bird, like a parrot or a cockatoo or whatever, and a small alligator. There was a boa, the snake, and a couple of lizards and stuff. The snake was awesome. It was pure muscle. And the gator was actually potty trained, believe it or not. The keeper took it to the bushes and they had a wee-wee.”

Also in the field will be upcoming star Patrick Reed, the winner of the WGC-Championship at Doral. After winning three times in fourteen starts on the PGA Tour, Reed declared himself to be a top five player in the world. Naturally this caused some uproar in the golfing world and he even earned himself a new moniker on Twitter of “PatrickReedsEgo”, while in Britain he’s now been christened the American Ian Poulter.

“I thought it was pretty funny. It was interesting to see how much of a stir that got up in the media,” Reed, 23, said at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. “When it comes down to it, that’s what I believe in. And that’s how I see myself as a player. But you have to have that belief in yourself. If you don’t, then you’re not going to play like it, and you’re definitely not going to be contending on Sundays. I wouldn’t think that it would rub anyone the wrong way, just on the fact that people now know what I believe and what my goals are.”