Woods commits to next week's FedExCup playoff opener

Woods commits to next week's FedExCup playoff opener

FILE PHOTO: Golf - The 148th Open Championship - Royal Portrush Golf Club, Portrush, Northern Ireland - July 19, 2019 Tiger Woods of the U.S. on the 18th hole during the second round REUTERS/Paul Childs

(Reuters) - Tiger Woods will begin his quest for a record third FedExCup championship next week as the former world number one on Friday committed to the playoffs opener at TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts.

When Woods tees it up at The Northern Trust in only his fifth tournament of 2020, he will also be seeking an 83rd PGA Tour victory that would eclipse Sam Snead on the all-time list.

"Excited to head to Boston for @TheNTGolf and start the #FedExCup Playoffs," Woods, who won the FedExCup in 2007 and 2009, announced on Twitter.

The top 125 players in the FedExCup rankings qualify for The Northern Trust and only the top 70 after that event qualify for the following week's BMW Championship where the top 30 players go on to the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta.

Should Woods, who is currently 47th in the standings, make it to the final, it would be the first time he will have played three consecutive weeks on the PGA Tour since the 2018 playoffs.

In his last start, Woods posted a final round three-under-par 67 to finish tied for 37th at the PGA Championship where his surgically-repaired back was not an issue despite the chilly weather at San Francisco's Harding Park.

After the round, which was his lowest of the week, Woods said he was gearing up for a heavy workload in case he has the opportunity to compete in three consecutive weeks.

"Well, that's potentially what could happen, and we've been training for that," said Woods. "Trying to get my strength and endurance up to that ability to making sure that I can handle that type of workload."

Woods shot an opening-round 75 at last year's Northern Trust but withdrew before the second round with a mild oblique strain. He competed the following week and in October picked up his 82nd PGA Tour win with his triumph at the Zozo Championship in Japan.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)