Tiger Woods‘ yacht, Privacy, was spotted headed up the East Coast earlier this week from Florida, but if it ends up docking in Hilton Head, South Carolina, the golfer will not be joining the vessel with the intention of playing the local PGA Tour event.
The deadline for entry to the RBC Heritage passed Friday and Woods failed to put his name on the commitment list, meaning he is taking a pass on the first two PGA Tour events in the revised schedule that began with this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge.
The tournament at Harbour Town Golf Links has attracted a strong field, with five of the top-10 in the world, including No. 1-ranked Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, as well as the likes of Webb Simpson, Tony Finau, Patrick Cantlay, Rickie Fowler, Sergio Garcia and Xander Schauffele.
The tournament seemed like it had a decent shot of landing Woods, who has not competed since finishing last among those to make the cut at the Genesis Invitational on Feb. 16.
Back stiffness kept him from three tournaments he might have otherwise played, including the Players Championship, which was canceled after one round on March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Woods later pronounced himself fit had the Masters gone forward in April, and he looked good during a one-day fundraiser last month in which he competed alongside Phil Mickelson and football legends Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
But he’s offered no hints on his schedule. The first five events are being played without spectators. A likely landing spot for Woods is next month at the Memorial Tournament, which he has won five times. It is also three weeks prior to the PGA Championship and at the beginning of a busy stretch that could conceivably see him play several times through September.
Woods’ yacht docked in St. Simons Island, Georgia, earlier this week, leading to speculation it was on its way to Hilton Head. The short flight and the ease of staying on his boat seemed a logical fit if Woods wanted to play — even though he last competed in the tournament in 1999.
The RBC Heritage is traditionally scheduled for the week following the Masters but was postponed because of the pandemic and moved to the second week of the revised schedule.
Woods has played just three times this season, winning the Zozo Championship for his 82nd PGA Tour title in October; tying for ninth at the Farmers Insurance Open and then the 67th-place finish at the Genesis Invitational.