Tiger Woods announces leave from golf, though it might be brief

Tiger Woods says he’s leaving golf indefinitely.

He might not be gone long.

Woods announced Wednesday he would be stepping away from the game because his play in his words basically isn’t up to par. But if you read a little deeper he has his sights set on a return at the Honda Classic at PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach, Fla.

That’s later this month, beginning Feb. 26.

“My play, and scores, are not acceptable for tournament golf,” Woods said in a statement on his website. “Like I’ve said, I enter a tournament to compete at the highest level, and when I think I’m ready, I’ll be back.”

Woods’ return to golf in 2015 hasn’t gone as planned. He missed the cut at the Phoenix Open after shooting an 82 -- the worst round of his career and only the second time he has shot in the 80s -- and was carted off the course at Torrey Pines with an injury.

“The last two weeks have been very disappointing to me, especially Torrey, because I never want to withdraw,” Woods said.

Woods, 39, underwent back surgery last year but described his reason for withdrawing from as related to a failure to “activate his glutes.”

“This latest injury is not related to my previous surgery,” Woods said.

Woods will skip the AT&T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach this weekend and the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club, tournaments that weren’t on his schedule.

Follow Matt Wilhalme on Twitter @mattwilhalme