Woods withdraws

In an ominous start to his season, Tiger Woods walked off the course after 11 holes at the Farmers Insurance Open because of tightness in his lower back that he attributed to a fog delay. Woods began reaching for his lower back midway through the round on the North Course at Torrey Pines, and his grimace became more pronounced. Billy Horschel picked up the tee for Woods on their 10th hole and took the ball out of the cup for him when Woods made birdie. Woods hit a safe shot to the middle of the par-3 third green. When it was his turn, he had caddie Joe LaCava pick up his ball marker and he waited for Horschel and Rickie Fowler to finish before getting into a cart and driving to his car.

In his last six tournaments since returning from back surgery a week before the Masters, Woods has missed the cut three times, withdrawn twice and finished 69th in the British Open, his lowest 72-hole finish in a major. He had said at his unofficial World Challenge in December and last week in the Phoenix Open, where he had a career-high 82, that he was at full strength. He blamed this on having to stand around in the cool Pacific air during a fog delay.