The eagerly awaited "come back" of the "Tiger" is postponed: the former world No. 1 Tiger Woods, who was to make his return to competition Thursday in California after 14 months of absence, changed his mind on Monday, citing a level of game "still fragile".

Tiger Woods - © Alexi Orloff

Tiger Woods - © Alexi Orloff

It will take at least two more months to see the most famous golfer on the planet on the greens.

He had however confirmed Friday to the organizers that he was starting, but his last training runs prompted him to reconsider his decision and revise his schedule.

The eagerly awaited "come back" of the "Tiger" is postponed: the former world No. 1 Tiger Woods, who was to make his return to competition Thursday in California after 14 months of absence, changed his mind on Monday, citing a level of game "still fragile".

It will take at least two more months to see the most famous golfer on the planet on the greens.

Woods, whose last appearance on the PGA circuit dates back to August 2015, has given up participating in the Safeway Open, the first event of the 2016-17 season scheduled in Napa, near San Francisco.

He had however confirmed Friday to the organizers that he was starting, but his last training runs prompted him to reconsider his decision and revise his schedule.

He also gave up participating in the Turkish Open, counting for the European circuit, from November 3 to 6 in Antalya.

"After a long and honest reflection, I know that I am not yet ready to play on the PGA Tour or to compete in the Turkish Open", said the player with 79 PGA titles, including 14 in Grand Slam.

"My health is good and I feel good, but my game is fragile and is not where it should be", He said.

Three back operations

"I have been training for the last few days in California, but after many hours of training, I realized that I was not ready to play against the best golfers on the planet", recognized Woods, who was operated on his back three times (micro-disectomy) between April 2014 and October 2015.

Woods now plans to return to competition during the Hero World Challenge, a PGA tour event organized for the benefit of its foundation from December 2 to 4 in the Bahamas.

His agent Mark Steinberg told ESPN television station that the decision to forgo the Turkish Open had been made "Out of respect for the PGA Tour".

"Tiger thinks it would not have been appropriate for him to go back to an event that is not on the PGA Tour, it is not a decision made based on his state of health or his level of play in three weeks'he insisted.

The American, who spent 683 weeks at the top of the world rankings and is now 786th in the world, conceded that his experience as vice-captain in the 2016 Ryder Cup won by the United States in early October, l 'had influenced and acted as a revealer, in contact with the best current players.

'I am very close'

"I spent a week with the United States team, it was an honor and an experience that made me play, even more play", he noted.

It is an understatement to say that his “come back” was eagerly awaited. Safeway Open organizers had to double the size of their press center for the 106 accredited journalists, up from 45 just a year earlier. The "Woods-mania" had repercussions of course on the sale of the tickets which had been torn in a few hours.

“I would like to apologize to the organizers, spectators and those who hoped to follow me on TV. This is not what I expected, but I will continue to train to replay tournaments ”he said.

"I'm very close, and I'm not going to stop until I get there"he concluded.

Even after such a long absence, even if the world elite has been turned upside down with the emergence of the Americans Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson and the Australian Jason Day, Woods remains at 40 the player who makes golf fans dream most. , leaders of the PGA circuit, advertisers and broadcasters.

“It would be nice if he could have a long enough injury-free period to give himself one last chance to shine. He brings a lighting and an atmosphere to the tournaments in which he participates which is without equivalent ”, had hoped for the world No.3, the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, on the announcement of his return last month.