Tiger Woods has decided to skip the Valspar Championship this season. But it was the same event that saw viewership skyrocketing due to Woods’ presence in 2018. Woods was a top-tier name then, and a box office entity some years back. He could affect a tournament only by his presence. Something similar happened at the Copperhead course in 2018.
Tiger was only recovering from his injuries and making a comeback to the course. Thus, it was evident that the ‘Tiger effect’ drew the fans massively and they witnessed Woods’ astounding T2 finish.
When Tiger Woods Drew The Golf Community’s Attention To The 2018 Valspar Championship
Going back in time, during March 2018, the fifteen-time-major winner was searching for a title since 2013. He underwent various health issues during that time, and in 2017 he had to go through a lower right back fusion surgery. Next year, Woods made a comeback on the course and participated in the PGA Tour events.
He finished 23rd at the Farmers Insurance Open and Masters was just around the corner, for which Woods needed extra practice. Thus, he chose to participate in the Valspar Championship for the only time. As Woods promised to participate in a tournament, it drew a huge crowd, bringing in hoards of sponsors showing special interest.
Tiger Woods to skip next week’s Valspar Championship https://t.co/8ap0Ucxszk pic.twitter.com/JyZjauMBry
— Fore Golfers Network (@ForeGolfersNet) March 16, 2019
Woods ended up tying for second place. After the tournament, he was asked why he chose to participate in the event, to which he replied,
“To be honest with you, I only got two rounds in in LA [2018 Genesis Open] missed the cut there.”
He reflected upon the fact that after playing in the Honda Classic, he wanted to push himself further and hence added more tournaments to his schedule.
“After playing Honda and really feeling good about it, I wanted to push myself in my practice sessions, which I did, pushed myself in the gym a little bit and I can handle two weeks in a row…I got in two and I can handle two weeks in a row. So that’s one of the reasons why I’m here.”
Woods recorded four rounds of 70, 68, 67, and 70 over the week and gave a huge TV audience to a non-Masters event. Moreover, a non-major event with such record viewership was only witnessed at the 2013 TPC Sawgrass tournament. Woods has played only the Genesis Invitational in 2024, where he ended up withdrawing owing to flu-like symptoms. After that, he was seen at the Seminole Pro-Member event. It is to see whether Tiger Woods would be making an appearance at the Masters.
