Woods could play four events in next five weeks

MIAMI • Tiger Woods confirmed on Friday that he will play in next week's PGA Tour play-off opener, The Northern Trust at TPC Boston, after sharing 37th in last week's PGA Championship.

The 15-time Major winner ranks 47th in the FedExCup season playoff points standings and must rise into the top 30 to reach the Tour Championship next month in Atlanta. "Excited to head to Boston for @TheNTGolf and start the #FedExCup Playoffs," he tweeted.

Woods struggled with back issues and skipped events before the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the golf season in March.

He ended tied-40th last month at the Memorial in his only tune-up for last week's first Major event of the year at TPC Harding Park.

The world No. 16 won at TPC Boston in 2006 and has three other top-three showings over the layout, but has played there only once since 2013.

Woods, 44, has won 82 PGA Tour titles, level with Sam Snead for the all-time record. The reigning Masters champion, who has played only five events all year, could play four tournaments in five weeks if his back holds, counting the PGA and the three tour play-off events.

He must remain among the top 70 in points after Boston to qualify for the second play-off event, the BMW Championship on Aug 27-30, then crack the top 30 to make the season-ending Tour Championship on Sept 4-7.

Woods won the 2018 Tour Championship but last year did not qualify for the chance to defend that title, withdrawing from the first playoff event with a strained oblique, then sharing 37th at the BMW.

Following which he had arthroscopic knee surgery and did not play again until last October's Zozo Championship victory in Japan, where he matched Snead's mark.

In golfing action this week, Billy Horschel fired a six-under 64 on Friday to join a four-way tie atop a tight leaderboard at the Wyndham Championship.

He finished 36 holes on 10-under 130 - tied with former Wyndham champion Kim Si-woo (65) of South Korea and Americans Tom Hoge (68) and Talor Gooch (65).

Well-known names who failed to make the cut included world No. 7 Brooks Koepka (70) and England's 17th-ranked Justin Rose (67).

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE