Tiger Woods Reportedly Won't Play in Arnold Palmer Invitational Ahead of Masters

As he continues to get ready for The Masters in April, Tiger Woods reportedly will skip the Arnold Palmer Invitational.  

Daniel Rapaport of Golf Digest reported Woods is "not quite ready" for next week's tournament in Orlando as he "wants to peak" for the first major event of the year. 

Woods hasn't played since finishing last among players who made the cut at the Genesis Invitational two weeks ago. After a solid 69 in the opening round, the 44-year-old limped to the finish with three straight rounds over par, including a final-round 77. 

The PGA Tour is near Woods' home in south Florida this week with the Honda Classic taking place in Palm Beach Gardens. He opted not to enter the tournament before the Feb. 21 deadline. 

"I was just off—it happens,'' Woods said of skipping the Honda Classic, via ESPN's Bob Harig. "I'm off and I got a chance to have the week off this week and do a little prep, a little practicing, some training, be at home and all positive things.''

Last year, the only tournament Woods played between the WGC-Mexico Championship (Feb. 21-24) and The Masters (April 11-14) was the Players Championship from March 14-17. The limited schedule paid off with his emotional win at Augusta. 

Woods last played at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2018 when he finished fifth. Notable events leading up to The Masters include The Players Championship (March 12-15), Valspar Championship (March 19-22) and Valero Texas Open (April 2-5).