Dubai: Tiger Woods pulled out of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic citing back spasms on Friday but his manager said it wasn’t linked to the more serious nerve damage that has seen him sidelined for the last 15-months.
“He says it’s not the nerve pain that’s kept him out for so long, he says it’s a back spasm and he just can’t get it to calm down,” said Woods’ manager Mark Steinberg, after Tiger pulled out ahead of the start of his second round.
“I think spasms are a funny thing. I’m certainly no doctor but they come and go. And again, the fact he feels as though it’s not the nerve pain, that’s very encouraging for him.”
The 14-time Major winner and former World No. 1 shot five over par 77 in Thursday’s first round, leaving him tied for 124th in the leaderboard 12 strokes off leader Sergio Garcia.
It was his worst ever score in Dubai in 29 rounds and left him on the verge of his first missed cut here in eight appearances.
Friday’s second round of play was eventually suspended anyway due to high winds.
“He felt OK coming off the golf course yesterday, he wasn’t in pain,” added Steinberg. “But then his lower back went into spasm fairly late last night after dinner.
“He tried to work it out last night but didn’t really get it worked out. Then he had treatment on it starting pretty early this morning, for probably the past three hours, but he can’t get the spasm out.
“He can move around, he just can’t make a full rotation on the swing. So that’s where we are, he feels terrible. He wants to be here. He just feels terrible that he can’t finish it out today.”
This was only Tiger’s third appearance back after his long-term injury lay-off, and he is expected to play a further two events this month at the Genesis Open and Honda Classic in the run up to April’s Masters at Augusta.
Initial news of his withdrawal in Dubai may have worried Tiger fans, but Steinberg suggested it wouldn’t affect the legend’s comeback.
“He’ll get it to calm down,” Steinberg added of the spasm. “Forget about the long-term, the short-term prognosis, he hopes he’ll be strong; based on the fact that it’s not that nerve pain I just alluded to.
“Look, he doesn’t have the strongest back in the world, right. So it’s probably easier to spasm because of the issues he’s had.”
This is the event’s second high profile withdrawal after Rory McIlroy informed organisers before the tournament that he wouldn’t be able to play due to a rib injury.
“Obviously, losing Tiger from the tournament is a big blow, but what is most important is his health — as it was with Rory,” said Mohammad Juma Bu Amim, vice-chairman and chief executive officer of the event’s organisers Golf in Dubai.
“We don’t want him playing and doing any lasting damage. We wish him a speedy recovery,” he added.
