WASHINGTON (USA TODAY)--Tiger Woods will play in the Golden Bear’s tournament.
Woods, coming off a tie for 11th in The Players Championship last week, will make his next start in the 43rd Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Jack Nicklaus annually hosts the tournament on the course he designed and built. The tournament is May 31-June 3.
Woods has won the Memorial on five occasions – 1999-2001, 2009 and 2012. He last played in 2015 when he finished 71st and shot his worst round in his PGA Tour career, a third-round 85.
The tournament also announced newly minted world No. 1 Justin Thomas is in the field. Woods and Thomas join a stacked gathering that includes Masters champion Patrick Reed, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Bubba Watson and defending champion Jason Dufner.
“I have been so impressed with Tiger during his comeback, and as I said after last weekend, I think he is on the verge of winning for the first time in several years,” Nicklaus said in a statement announcing Woods’ commitment. “He’s been very close, and having won five times at Muirfield Village, I wouldn’t be surprised if he contended to win his sixth."
Woods will make his 16th appearance in the tournament. Since returning to the PGA Tour following spinal fusion surgery last April, Woods has made eight starts this year. He’s been in contention late on Sunday in four events – he tied for 12th in the Honda Classic, tied for second in the Valspar Championship, tied for fifth in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and got within four shots of the lead before finishing in a tie for 11th in The Players.
“I'm not that far off from winning golf tournaments,” Woods said after Sunday’s final round of The Players.
Woods, who began the year ranked No. 656, has moved up to No. 80.
