Tiger Woods announced he will skip this week's Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, where he has won eight times.
That's horrible news for fans of ... Rory McIlroy.
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The Guardian reported that Woods' lingering hiatus could have an impact on McIlroy's attempt to complete the career Grand Slam with the win at this year's Masters.
Paul McGinley, the winning captain of the European Davis Cup 2014 team, told The Guardian that he believes having Tiger Woods entered at the Masters - physically or emotionally ready or not - would have a dramatic impact on the chances of the current No. 1 golfer in the world completing his slam.
When asked by the Guarding whether having Woods return would make it easier for McIlroy to win at Augusta, McGinley responded, "Of course. Look what happens at the U.S. PGA last year, all the talk is Tiger going to play, is he not going to play? At the time Rory was favorite but all the expectation, all the talk, all you guys were focused on Tiger.
"Rory didn't sneak in the backdoor, but he was able to go about his business without the attention on him. I do hope Tiger comes back, we all hope Tiger comes back. I don't know if he will or not, we'll have to wait and see."
The theory is not far-fetched. In two PGA Tour events so far in 2015 - both without Woods - McIlroy has one top-10 finish and one missed cut. He missed out on playing on the weekend at the Honda Classic after shooting 7 over par for his first two rounds.
McIlroy, however, did return the following week at the World Golf Cadillac Championship and finished in a tie for ninth place at 1 under par.
Concern for Woods, meanwhile, is growing after he decided to skip an event in which he has enjoyed tremendous success. His decision to skip the Arnold Palmer has increased speculation that he may not play in the Masters.
But Woods maintained when he announced his decision to take a break from the tour that he would not return until he felt sure he could compete at a level to which he was accustomed. Some analysts assumed that his competitive drive would hasten his return even if he didn't feel 100 percent ready, but he deserves credit for sticking to his guns.
It's a pretty safe bet that Woods won't return to Augusta this year if the only reason is to take the spotlight off McIlroy so he can complete his career Grand Slam.
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