Tiger Woods officially commits to Memorial

Tiger Woods confirmed on Wednesday what had already been suspected, officially committing to defend his title at the Memorial.

In a statement on his website, Woods said he hadn't fully recovered from a neck injury that forced him to withdraw from the Players Championship, but that he was well enough to return to competition. Originally fearing a bulging disk, Woods learned from an MRI that he had merely an inflamed facet joint, and that a full recovery was expected.

"The doctors advised me to take a week off and rest, which I did," Woods said. "They prescribed physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication and soft-tissue messages, which I'm continuing with. Although I'm not 100 percent, I feel much better and look forward to competing next week."

Following the Memorial, Woods has already committed to play the U.S. Open, the AT&T National, and the British Open. He is the de facto defending champion of all three tournaments -- winning the last U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2000, last year's AT&T, and the last British Open at St. Andrews, in 2005.

*-- Sam Weinman