Woods steers clear of his own tournament

The golfer who so famously won a major on one leg has decided he cannot play in his own tournament this week while he recovers from concussion and some cuts and bruises to his face. Tiger Woods surprised nobody last night by withdrawing from the Chevron World Challenge.

Seeing as he has refused thus far to have an audience with the Florida Highway Patrol, he was hardly likely to grant one to the world's media, which is probably even keener to get to the bottom of the car crash outside his Orlando home at 2.30am on Friday morning.

Yet the suspicion that Woods may be trying to hide something will inevitably now only grow after he pulled out of the event and, perhaps more pertinently, out of the press conference he was due to give at the Californian country club today.

On his website it was reported that "due to injuries sustained in a one-car accident last week, Tiger Woods will be unable to play". The world No 1 was then quoted as saying: "I am extremely disappointed I will not be at my tournament this week. I am certain it will be an outstanding event and I'm very sorry that I can't be there." Meanwhile, the Woods camp were putting out that doctors had advised him against travelling because of the post-accident headaches he has been suffering.

What the fans who have paid up to $875 (£532) to watch the player widely regarded as the greatest of all time will make of it will doubtless soon be discovered.

This is the 10th anniversary of the year-ender and never before has Woods missed it – even when he has been injured. Last year he turned up at Sherwood Country Club and stayed for the duration of the tournament in his role of promoter; despite being unable to tee it up as he recovered from knee surgery.

The Chevron World Challenge plays a big part in raising revenue for the Tiger Woods Foundation, a charitable project which Woods has described as more important than any of his achievements on course. He will now not be seen on a golf course until January. By then the cuts and bruises should have healed.