Woods return creates World Match Play doubts
Tiger Woods could return to action in this week's WGC-Accenture World Match Play in Tucson. But we will have to wait until Friday's deadline to discover exactly which players Ireland's Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy will be facing.
Barring the late withdrawal of other players through injury, Woods would face world No 64 Brendan Jones of Australia with Harrington taking on American Pat Perez.
Down one place to 16th in the word, McIlroy would be paired with ISM stablemate Louis Ooshuizen, who was one of his final round playing partners when he lifted his maiden title in the Dubai Desert Classic three weeks ago.
Graeme McDowell is scheduled to take on former Masters champion Zach Johnson
If Woods does not play and there are no further withdrawals, Sergio Garcia will face Australia’s Richad Green, Harrington will take on Jones and McIlroy will take in Denmark’s Anders Hansen, who qualified thanks to his victory in the Vodacom Championship on the Sunshine Tour.
McDowell would then avoid Johnson and take on Australia’s Robert Allenby.
According to this AP report, Woods will be in Tucson for a corporate commitment next week and is likely to play after Mark O'Meara confirmed as much to Champions Tour player Tom Jenkins.
Woods has not played since reconstructive surgery on his left knee a week after winning the U.S. Open in June.
Tom Jenkins, a co-leader at the Allianz Championship on the Champions Tour, had said Saturday that O'Meara told him Woods had planned to return at Match Play, and if not then, play Doral and Bay Hill in Florida.
O'Meara has been close friends with Woods since he joined the PGA Tour in 1996 at age 20.
"He hasn't told me personally when he's going to start back, but I know he's pretty much almost ready to start back, so I wouldn't be surprised," O'Meara said. "But I don't make his schedule, and I know that everybody always wants me to tell everybody when he's going to play, but I don't know what he's going to play."
Woods is the defending champion at Match Play and has an endorsement deal with Accenture. He is expected to be in Arizona next week for a corporate obligation, although that doesn't mean he will play. Woods has until Friday to decide.
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- Tiger Woods United States
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- Camilo Villegas Colombia
- Kenny Perry United States
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- Trevor Immelman South Africa
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- Justin Leonard United States
- Zach Johnson United States
- Ben Curtis United States
- Robert Allenby Australia
- Ian Poulter England
- Tim Clark South Africa
- Retief Goosen South Africa
- Jeev Milkha Singh India
- Ross Fisher England
- Luke Donald England
- Graeme McDowell N Ireland
- Andres Romero Argentina
- Stephen Ames Canada
- Shingo Katayama Japan
- Rory Sabbatini South Africa
- Aaron Baddeley Australia
- Oliver Wilson England
- Richard Sterne South Africa
- Dustin Johnson United States
- Stuart Appleby Australia
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- Louis Oosthuizen South Africa
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- Anders Hansen Denmark
- Soren Hansen Denmark
- Prayad Marksaeng Thailand
- Lin WenTang Taiwan
- Mathew Goggin Australia
- Rod Pampling Australia
- Kevin Sutherland United States
- Peter Hanson Sweden
- Davis LoveIII United States
- Angel Cabrera Argentina
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- Charl Schwartzel South Africa
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