Tiger Woods drops out of world top 100
The 39-year-old has struggled to return to the form which saw him spend a record 683 weeks as world number one and is now ranked 104 in the official rankings.
The 14-time major winner carded an 82 at the Phoenix Open in January, a round which he described as his worst as a professional.
Woods has not played since he withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open on February 6 saying he will not return until he can “compete at the highest level”.
Woods has said he is “hopeful” of a return at the Masters which starts on April 9, but if he does forgo the tournament it will be the second successive occasion he has done so.
Woods was last outside the top 100 in September 1996 when he was ranked 225.
The then 20-year-old won the Las Vegas Invitational, the first of his 79 PGA Tour victories.
Woods lost his number one ranking to Adam Scott in May last year after a 2013 which saw him suffer poor form and injuries.
The American picked up an elbow injury at the Players Championship before he finished 13 over par at the US Open and only returned from the injury for The Open. Woods was in contention all week at Muirfield and finished five shots behind winner Phil Mickelson.
Victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational two weeks later looked like it could be the catalyst to kick-start Woods’ winning habit.
However Woods sustained a back injury during the 2014 Honda Classic and subsequently missed the Masters for the first time since 1994.
His up and down form continued as a brilliant first round of 69 at the Open was followed up by a 77 and a finish of 69th.
His struggles with form and fitness have continued since and his college friend and confident Notah Begay feels Woods is at best 50-50 to accept the invitation to compete at Augusta.
Meanwhile Hometown boy Jimmy Walker held his nerve to close out victory at the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio.
The Ryder Cup player added to his Sony Open title this season and three PGA Tour victories in 2014 as a closing 70 maintained his four-shot overnight lead.
Jordan Spieth was second on seven under, having perhaps left his run too late before finishing with four birdies in the last five holes.
Walker said: “It’s at home and it’s cool, you can feel support of friends, family and fans. It doesn’t happen often, to win in your home town.
“It played hard today, sometimes it’s hard to make pars. I wasn’t putting very good but I finally got the putting stroke smoothed out and holed a couple.
“And Jordan... holy cow! I’ll be having nightmares about that guy!”
Spieth’s efforts mean he has now finished in the top seven in eight of his last 10 starts.
Walker, meanwhile, is building momentum for the Masters in two weeks’ time and he said: “I like Augusta.
“All this keeps adding momentum and confidence and I’m excited to go. I’ll head over tomorrow and take another look at it.”
Billy Horschel, the third player in the group, finished third outright at four under. Chesson Hadley birdied the last hole to finish joint fourth with Daniel Summerhays at three under.
Several players went into the tournament with hopes of breaking into the world’s top 50 and qualifying for the Masters, but none were able to produce the finish they required.
Paul Casey is returning to Augusta after securing his place at next week’s Masters. The 37-year-old has not played in the season’s first major for the last two years but will tee it up on April 9 due to his position in the world’s top 50.
The Englishman, whose world ranking got as high as three in 2009, came into the new season outside the top 50 but a second-placed finish at the Northern Trust Open followed by a tie for third at the Honda Classic saw him move back in and his place at Augusta has now been assured.
Casey’s best Masters finish was a tie for sixth on his debut in 2004.
Indian Anirban Lahiri, who has two European Tour wins this season, will be making his debut at Augusta alongside Austrian Bernd Wiesberger while South Africa’s Branden Grace has earned an invitation for the third consecutive season.
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