Tour News

Tiger Woods withdraws from the Farmers Insurance Open

Published

11 years ago

Feb 5, 2015

Tiger Woods withdrew from Round 1 of the Farmers Insurance Open with what he described as tightness in his glutes and lower back.

Woods, who started on the back nine, withdrew on No. 3 at Torrey Pines North, his 12th hole of the day. He was 2-over par through 11 holes, and was seen grimacing in pain after several shots.

The WD is Woods’ third in his past eight starts on the PGA Tour dating back to March of last year.

Brian Wacker of PGATour.com tweeted “Tiger says glutes deactivated during fog delay. “It just got progressively tighter…It’s frustrating that I just can’t stay activated.””

In comments after the round, Woods indicated that having to wait during the fog delay after having previously warmed up created difficulty for him. He said that when warming up again, he had trouble “reactivating.”

Woods was ambushed in the parking lot by a swarm of reporters. He gave brief replies to the predictable set of questions. Here’s some of what he said:

“It’s frustrating that it started shutting down like that. I was ready to go. I had a good warm-up session the first time around.

Then we stood out here and I got cold, and everything started deactivating again. And it’s frustrating that I just can’t stay activated. That’s just kind of the way it is.

It’s just my glutes are shutting off. Then they don’t activate and then, hence, it goes into my lower back. So, I tried to activate my glutes as best I could, in between, but it just they never stayed activated.

Whenever we were standing there on the putting green to see if we were going to go play or not. And I tried to activate it before we went back out, but it just never did.”

As mentioned earlier, Woods was 2-over through 11 holes when he withdrew. The short game issues that have plagued him recently flared up on his first hole (the 10th) when he badly flubbed a short pitch across the green. He did, however, remarkably pitch in for par at the next hole.

Woods was erratic off the tee all day but did manage to card two birdies and get back to even par through 10 holes. However, after making a mess of the 11th and in obvious pain (playing partner Billy Horschel had to pick up Woods’ tee), Tiger called it quits.

You can watch the highlights (such as they are) from Tiger’s round here.

Related Topics:

Up Next

Poulter and Spieth, not-so-courteous courtesy cars

Don't Miss

Hype Central: A week in the life of Tiger Woods

Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

21 Comments

other paul

Feb 10, 2015 at 2:23 am

I went to a golf fit specialist (tpi), and found out that my flutes weren’t activating. No joke. Working on it and my core, and I swing a lot better now and with less back pain.

Reply Report comment
BJ

Feb 6, 2015 at 9:16 pm

Go see Jimmy Ballard.

Reply Report comment
Barry S.

Feb 6, 2015 at 12:16 pm

The predator becomes the prey.

Reply Report comment
Tim

Feb 6, 2015 at 10:40 am

Someone else has already said it, and Faldo said it last night, he needs to learn to play a different sort of golf. This isn’t about his swing per se, more about his attitude. There are guys like tim clarke, eric compton, that have learnt to play great golf, whilst having limited abilities due to physical problems. They know they can’t do certain things or play certain shots. So they work around it. Tiger still wants to be able to hit it 110% or more, and play the miracle shots. If he can learn to just play around his physical problems I am sure he will still win tournaments (assuming he can solve his current short game block) Will he be as good as he once was? probably not, he certainly won’t be as spectacular. He needs to learn to play like Luke Donald or David Toms, basically bunt it down the fairway 280 yards with a 80% swing but make sure you put it in the fairway. Then get really good with the wedges and mid irons. Plenty of other players have had long careers and even won majors playing that way, so why can’t he. Its all down to his ego. Can he control himself and accept that his old golf game is gone, he can’t get it back because his body won’t take it.

Reply Report comment
TR1PTIK

Feb 6, 2015 at 10:19 am

Some of Tiger’s full swings looked like a cross between what he was doing with Sean Foley and what he is trying to do now, so I can kind of buy his argument about being stuck between swing patterns (I don’t believe that fully explains his short game though). But, I don’t understand his incessant need to try and break his problems down to a specific body part.

Plenty of people have had success in golf with less than perfectly functioning bodies. His desire to understand every minute-detail of the golf swing is preventing him from accomplishing his current swing goals.

I also feel like the Sean Foley swing is – at least in part – responsible for Tiger’s back issues. Sean Foley’s methods (S&T as well – since they’re quite similar) are certainly effective, but they place a good bit of strain on the back for all but the most flexible/nimble golfers. I’m 27 and I can’t make a swing like that without feeling some back pain.

The other side of that is Tiger’s strength training. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with putting a little muscle on for golf, but it needs to be matched with flexibility and mobility training. I would think that Tiger and his trainers know this, but his physical limitations seem to tell a different story. He said the fog delay caused him to get cold so why not use the delay as an opportunity to do some foam rolling or stretches to keep your body loose?

I have no doubt that Tiger has the knowledge to get back to where he wants to be, but he doesn’t seem to be utilizing that knowledge very well…

Reply Report comment
Steve

Feb 6, 2015 at 7:51 am

All his wins and majors should be taken away, he is from the future. He is deactivating, run before he explodes

Reply Report comment
gvogel

Feb 5, 2015 at 8:52 pm

He is going to have to find a way to keep his head up and steady, and swing with grace, or he is finished.

Reply Report comment
Randy

Feb 5, 2015 at 8:22 pm

He just bought monte’s short game video ; and now look what it did to him. Monte is laughing to the bank on this one

Reply Report comment
Deb

Feb 5, 2015 at 8:21 pm

I heard he was getting tips from a few gurus on here. This is what happens

Reply Report comment
Stretch

Feb 5, 2015 at 8:07 pm

This reminds me of when David Duval went to the gym to build up his body to compete with Tiger and the increased muscle power overwhelmed his biomechanical structure.

Reply Report comment
dot dot

Feb 5, 2015 at 7:50 pm

The steroid use is just breaking his body down.
Activate, Deactivate what kind of mumbo jumbo bullspeak is that.
Just be done with it. Be a club pro, maybe that way you’ll be able to play on the weekends.

Reply Report comment
- haha
  
  Feb 9, 2015 at 6:09 pm
  
  club pro’s do not play golf…
  
  Reply Report comment
Joe Peel

Feb 5, 2015 at 7:41 pm

Tiger has changed coaches too often, changed his swing too often, has always thought that the way to a better game is through mechanical changes, it isn’t.
His mind is too full of information and he no longer knows how to swing the club.
He is STUBBORN, he should swallow his pride and beg Butch or Haney to take him back. He won’t and the few years he has left may be lost.
He is a sad commentary.

Reply Report comment
Jafar

Feb 5, 2015 at 7:19 pm

When a player gets so good, all they can do to challenge themselves is to forget how to play, only to figure it all out again.

Reply Report comment
Jonny B

Feb 5, 2015 at 7:16 pm

What a joke. I can’t believe the media covers this guy. Well seriously I can believe it because it’s a story, but the guy hasn’t done anything in over a year and a half. His game is amateur at best, and even then he still gets beat by amateurs every week he tees it up. I’m sure his back is fine he wouldn’t be playing at this point if it wasn’t. But he has too much pride to admit it is his game that’s the real reason he pulls out of all these tourneys. Better swallow that pride and dial 911 to Butch or Hank and get your game right! This is embarrassing. The guy I feel worst for is Joe Lacava. He’d make more money with Couples right now. Tiger better be paying him well to sit at home.

Reply Report comment
cdvilla

Feb 5, 2015 at 7:12 pm

Hard to know what to believe anymore with Tiger. I’d like to take his comments at face value but considering how he was playing… I can’t imagine what would have happened to him on the South Course but perhaps he did.

Reply Report comment
Keith

Feb 5, 2015 at 6:56 pm

It really is challenging to watch. Unfortunately he is a victim of his own success, every golfer goes through this at one point or at multiple points in their career.

Most recently I think of Henrik Stenson…he was at the top of his game until some off course adversity derailed his career for a good clip of time. Tiger unfortunately doesn’t have the anonymity that some other golfers have…guys WD at virtually every tournament and no one even knows.

He will rebound that is a given, but hopefully watching his failures will wear off in mainstream media…not only to help him get his head right…but for the sake of giving opportunity for new stars to emerge and take his place.

Reply Report comment
- Jeremy
  
  Feb 5, 2015 at 8:21 pm
  
  I don’t think it’s by any means a given that he’ll bounce back at this point. His body is completely failing him, and he seems unable or unwilling to adjust his swing to something less stressful. From what I watched today I think it’s more likely that he retires than that he ever wins another tournament, never mind another major.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Robeli
  
  Feb 5, 2015 at 9:32 pm
  
  Rebound like after March ’14… rebound like after …… I see the trend – you keep on betting on him – me, NO. Watching his swing today, even AFTER the ‘non-activation of the glutes’, he still tries to swing like everything is OK or being 21. He’s 39!!!
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Keith
    
    Feb 6, 2015 at 10:08 am
    
    You’re correct, I do keep betting on him and I will continue to do that. I’m not just a fan when things are good. I grew up watching this guy…I don’t turn my back because of a few crap years or duffed chips.
    
    Maybe it’s just engrained as a Chicago sports fan.
    
    Reply Report comment
gunmetal

Feb 5, 2015 at 6:04 pm

This is reminding me of the Truman Show…”How is it going to end?”

Reply Report comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 PGA Championship

Published

2 days ago

May 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site for the second major of 2026: The PGA Championship from Aronimink in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

The tournament’s location, just outside Philadelphia, and its status as a major championship mean GolfWRXers are in for a treat: WITBs from a strong field, custom gear celebrating the PGA Championship, and the rich culture of the City of Brotherly Love — we have noted a relative absence of cheesesteak-themed items thus far this week, but most of the rest of the usual suspects are well represented.

Check out links to all our photos below.