Tiger Woods out of Top 100; Steve Stricker may be back on Tour
Tiger Woods is helped into his winner’s jacket by golfing great Arnold Palmer after taking a victory at the 2001 Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
(Scott Audette / Associated Press)Tiger Woods reacts after injuring his right wrist while hitting out of the rough on the ninth hole during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2015.
(David Cannon / Getty Images)Tiger Woods tees off on the second hole during the third round of the Masters at Augusta National on April 11, 2015.
(Andrew Redington / Getty Images)Tiger Woods leaves the North County Courthouse in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on Oct. 27, 2017, after pleading guilty to a reckless driving charge stemming from an arrest on suspicion of drunk driving.
(Carline Jean / Associated Press)Tiger Woods attends Game 2 of the 2017 World Series between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2017.
(Christian Petersen / Getty Images)Tiger Woods shrugs while responding to a reporter’s question during a news conference at the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill on March 13, 2018. Woods would finish in a tie for fifth that week after finishing in a tie for second at the Valspar Championship in his previous tournament.
(Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel)Tiger Woods lines up a putt on the second green during tje Hero World Challenge, an offseason tournament he hosts, at Albany, Bahamas on December 1, 2017. Woods was testing his surgically repaired back in preparation for a 2018 return to the PGA Tour.
(Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)It’s official -- Tiger Woods has dropped out of the Top 100 in the world rankings for the first time since 1996.
Woods has stayed away from the PGA Tour since his surgically repaired -- and still tender -- back forced him to withdraw from the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in early February. He has been quietly practicing on his home course in Florida, trying to get his body and game back in shape.
The latest Official World Golf Ranking, released on Monday, listed him at No. 104.
Meanwhile, another golfer with back problems appears ready to make a return.
Steve Stricker, who had surgery on a bulging disk just before Christmas, hopes to play in the Masters next week, the Associated Press reported.
It remains to be seen if Woods will be at Augusta National.
The last time his ranking stood this low was the week before he won the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational, his first Tour victory.
Tim Rosaforte of Golf World reported Monday that Woods has been making progress.
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David Wharton has filled an array of roles – covering the courts, entertainment, sports and the second Persian Gulf War – since starting as a Los Angeles Times intern in 1982. His work has been honored by organizations such as the Society for Features Journalism and Associated Press Sports Editors and has been anthologized in “Best American Sports Writing.” He has also been nominated for an Emmy and has written two books, including “Conquest,” an inside look at USC football during the Pete Carroll era.