The 2015 Players Championship will kick off on Thursday morning at 7:15 a.m. ET, but the focus is on the PGA Tour's stars right now. Tiger Woods arrived at TPC Sawgrass today, and the tee times for the event were revealed, which feature Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy in the same group on day one.
Woods spoke to the media this morning and was asked about his play as well as his recent breakup with Lindsey Vonn. He opened up about his game and how his wrist was feeling after he injured it during the Masters. He told reporters he rested for a week after he sustained the injury to help get rid of the swelling and pain, but now it's fully healed and he's good to go.
Perhaps the more pressing questions regarded his personal life. Woods' father, Earl Woods, passed away on May 3, 2006, and his presence in Tiger's life was what helped the former No. 1 golfer in the world get to where he is now. Woods said he hasn't slept over the past three days as he remembers his father's death, but another personal issue added to the stress.
Tiger and his girlfriend, Olympic gold medalist skier Lindsey Vonn, broke up on Sunday, and Woods said the split has added to the recent hardship.
"Obviously, it does affect me," he said. "It is tough, there's no doubt. I'm not going to lie about that."
Despite the conflict he's enduring off the course, Woods hopes to continue his success on the course after finishing T-17 at the Masters in April, which came after a two-month hiatus from the PGA Tour because of his struggles early on in the season.
On the other hand, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy have had a successful 2014-2015 PGA season, with Spieth winning the Masters and McIlroy finishing in fourth place. The two young stars will be paired together for the first round of the Players Championship on Thursday (along with Jason Day), according to the PGA Tour website, which released the event's tee times today.
Spieth has won three events this season, including his first major championship, and McIlroy, whose birthday was on Monday, defeated Gary Woodland over the weekend to win the WGC Match Play event, which took place at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, CA.
Woods will join fellow stars Martin Kaymer and Adam Scott for their 1:49 p.m. ET tee time. Kaymer won last year's event at 13-under par and defeated Jim Furyk by one stroke.
The 2015 Players Championship will take place at TPC Sawgrass (Par 70 6,847 yards) in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
