Tiger Woods Skipping Arnold Palmer Invitational

It's official - Tiger Woods will not be playing the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, a tournament he has won eight times. Tiger released a statement on his web site, saying he talked to Mr. Palmer and let him know that he would not be in the field next week.

Tiger loves Bay Hill, and has always played well there, so it was likely the best tournament for him to return in order to get ready for The Masters. With Tiger skipping the API, the speculation is now that he will not be competing at The Master. Tiger, to his credit, has let that door open.

"I hope to be ready for the Masters, and I will continue to work hard preparing for Augusta."

Tiger swears that the issue has nothing to do with injuries, and rather is about his lack of decent play since his return from back surgery. Tiger has been playing a lot of golf at his home course in order to get back to a level where he can win on the PGA Tour. He does not want to play if all he is going to do is miss cuts.

If Tiger misses Augusta, however, it means that his game is in far worse shape than we saw in Phoenix and Torrey Pines. It is one thing to miss several regular PGA Tour events, but no one just skips The Masters. Even if you aren't playing well, you tee it up at Augusta National. If he misses The Masters, then don't expect him back anytime soon. Personally, though, I do expect him to play The Masters. Whether he will play well, however, remains to be seen.