Players Haters

Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy won’t be teeing off this weekend at golf’s so-called “fifth major” championship, The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

The tomcat 14-time major champion, the Brit who’s ranked No. 1 in the world and the 22-year-old Northern Irishman who held the 54-hole lead at this year’s Masters will be M.I.A. at Ponte Vedra Beach, near Jacksonville, Fla., shanking the tournament’s potential star-power into the water before anyone has even tuned in to watch the tee box disaster area on the “Island Green” of No. 17 at the Stadium Course.

To his credit, Tiger did at least attempt to limp his way to victory, as he heroically did in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. But after shooting a 6-over 42 on the front nine on Thursday — including a triple-bogey on No. 4 and ugly bogeys on Nos. 1, 5 and 9 — Woods said adios to playing partners Martin Kaymer and Matt Kuchar at the turn.

“The knee acted up and then the Achilles followed after that and then the calf started cramping up. Everything started getting tight, so it’s just a whole chain reaction,” explained Woods, whose left knee has been surgically repaired four times and whose Achilles has also been an ongoing issue.

“I’m having a hard time walking.”

Meanwhile, both Westwood and McIlroy have no injury and obvious excuse to miss The Players Championship — although Lee may be celebrating the Royal Wedding and Rory still could be in mourning after his final-round 80 at Augusta. Instead, the two European headliners have decided to skip the “Island Green” and stay on the other side of the pond.

“It’s an affront to the championship,” said NBC analyst Johnny Miller, during a Wednesday conference call.

“It’s a statement. I’m not sure what the statement is.”

Statement or not, The Players Championship will be without three of the top eight players in the world this weekend, when a field led by Phil Mickelson and… other golfers attempt to conquer a brutally difficult 7,220-yard course — with a $9.5 million purse and $1.71 winner’s share on the line — at TPC Sawgrass.