Tiger Woods returns from Thursday on the PGA Tour for the Memorial Tournament, sponsored by legendary Jack Nicklaus, which kicks off this Thursday in Dublin, Ohio. Frenchman Victor Perez will also be there.

(Source: AFP)

Memorial Tournament: Tiger Woods returns but behind closed doors

Tiger Woods - © Wikimedia Commons

Contrary to what was initially planned, for the first time since the resumption of the PGA Tour, spectators will not be admitted to the Memorial. New health restrictions have been decided in Ohio, with the virus on the rise in several US states.

Tiger Woods, winner last year of the Masters in Augusta, his 15th Major, will try to win his 83rd title on the PGA Tour. He equaled Sam Snead's record in October by winning the Zozo Championship in Japan.

"I can't wait to play the Memorial", Woods tweeted last week to his 6,5 million subscribers. “I missed fighting the other guys so I can't wait to be there. "

Woods did not play any of the resumption tournaments after the long hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic. During the first two laps on the Muirfield Village course, Thursday and Friday, Woods will play a dream game against the world number 1, the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, and one of his best compatriots, Brooks Koepka, 6th in the world this week.

Woods, 44, has already won the Memorial five times (1999, 2000, 2001, 2009 and 2012). He also experienced the humiliation of a catastrophic score of 85, the worst of his career, in the 3rd round of the 2015 edition. At the bookmakers, Bryson DeChambeau, winner of the Memorial in 2018, is favorite, 10 against. 1, while Tiger is given 25 to 1.

Woods captain of the USA who won the Presidents Cup in December in Australia, Woods then played two tournaments in early 2020, finishing 9th at Torrey Pines in January, then 68th at the Genesis Invitational in February.

This week he is ranked 14th in the world, just behind Collin Morikawa who just won on Sunday, on the same course in Muirfield Village, the Workday Charity Open after a playoff against Justin Thomas.

Again in delicacy with his back before the start of the pandemic, Woods came back in great shape in May to win an exhibition tournament, the Champions for Charity in which also participated Phil Mickelson and two stars of American football (NFL), Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

The next big tournament on Tiger's schedule will be the PGA Championship scheduled at Harding Park in San Francisco (August 6-9).

To know more : https://www.thememorialtournament.com/

To read our last article on the same subject :

Tiger Woods will participate in the Memorial Tournament 2020