Tiger Woods needs to stop holding the PGA Tour Hostage about U.S. Open

Tiger Woods’ walk off the ninth green at the TPC two weeks ago, showed fans and everyone in the world that the 14-time major winner on tour is not ready to compete full time until injuries to his leg and Achilles' heel, heals completely.

Now with Congressional in his sights and the chance to play in another major with a chance to add to his win total, Woods announced four days after withdrawing from Sawgrass and The Players Championship that he is “likely” to play in the tournament.

Woods also said in the Washington Post that there was no real timetable for his return to competitive golf.  Woods said it is unlikely he’ll play any competitive golf before the June 16-19 Open, leaving him with just nine holes in tournament play since the Masters. That is a period of 66 days—a significant layoff for a player who insists some of his recent struggles are due to the fact that he has played so infrequently.

“Aggravating my injury is very disappointing,” Woods said on the website. “I’ll do whatever is necessary to play in the U.S. Open, and I’m hopeful I can be there to compete.”

The announcement left plenty of room for hedging, though it seems clear Woods won’t be ready for Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament on June 2-5, traditionally his last tune-up before the Open.

“There is no definitive time frame for healing, but Woods will likely play in the U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club, June 16-19,” the announcement said. “It is doubtful he will compete in the Memorial Tournament while he undergoes rehabilitation and works on strengthening his leg. Playing prior to the U.S. Open will be a week-to-week decision.”

The announcement said his medical team has again “advised rest, cold-water therapy and soft tissue treatment.” Woods has had four surgeries on his left knee dating from his college days.

Woods' decision to play or not play begs the question of how the 35-year-old golfer can continue to hold the golf world hostage like this. He has fallen out of the top 10 in the recent world golf rankings. Even some of his closest friends on the tour have questioned his competitiveness and his desire, having had multiple leg injuries and surgeries in the last two years.

But his withdrawal from The Players Championship caused concerns beyond his form. He said he originally suffered a grade-one sprain of his medial collateral ligament and a “mild” strain of his left Achilles’ tendon, while making a violent swing from shaky footing on pine straw at Augusta National’s 17th hole during the third round of the Masters on April 9.

He completed the tournament and finished tied for fourth, but spent some time in a walking boot after the fact. His last victory in a major championship came at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, when he beat Rocco Mediate in a 19-hole playoff on a broken left leg and with effectively no anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

While Woods has been the center of discussion about his health and not his play (his 6-over 42 for the first nine holes was the worst he ever played on the front nine in a round at TPC), other American golfers like Matt Kuchar, Bubba Watson and Nick Watney have taken the time to play some of their best golf, challenging veteran American players Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker and Europeans Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Graeme McDowell, who are all ranked in the top 10 of the world rankings.