Tiger Woods Will Not Play in Arnold Palmer Invitational Because of Back Injury

Tiger Woods announced Thursday he will miss the 2017 Arnold Palmer Invitational because of ongoing issues with his back. 

Woods released a statement on his website confirming he won't be in attendance at Bay Hill Club and Lodge when the opening round gets underway on March 16.

"Unfortunately, due to ongoing rest and rehabilitation on my back, I won't be able to play in this year's Arnold Palmer Invitational. I'm especially disappointed because I wanted to be at Bay Hill to help honor Arnold.

"This is one event I didn't want to skip. Arnold has meant so much to me and my family; I thought of him as a close friend, and Sam and Charlie were both born in the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies. He will be greatly missed and can never truly be replaced." 

Woods added that while there's no timetable for his return, his "treatments are continuing and going well."

The 14-time major champion finished 15th at December's Hero World Challenge and proceeded to miss the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open as he embarked on what was supposed to be a comeback tour to start the 2017 season. 

He was then forced to withdraw from February's Dubai Desert Classic with back issues after he shot an opening-round 77. 

"Just the way he was walking didn’t quite look right. He was walking really gingerly," Steve Stricker said of Woods' abbreviated stint in Dubai, per Golf Channel's Will Gray. "It didn't really look physically like he was ready to play."

Since then, the 41-year-old has missed the Genesis Open and Honda Classic because of ongoing medical woes. 

With Woods' withdrawal from the Arnold Palmer Invitational official, attention will likely shift toward his availability for the Masters. 

The year's first major is scheduled to start on Thursday, April 6, and it would be a logical target date for Woods considering he owns four green jackets and would have almost another month to rehabilitate before things get going at Augusta National.