The caddie was at Valhalla. So was his car, a silver SUV parked in the spot assigned to the four-time PGA champion.

As for Woods?

Stay tuned. His agent, Mark Steinberg at Excel Sports Management, said it was too early for doctors to decide whether Woods could or even should try to play this week after another back injury.

The PGA of America said Woods would not have his previously scheduled news conference on Tuesday morning. It did not provide additional details.

Woods took another turn toward an uncertain future when he withdrew after eight holes and one final shot on Sunday at the Bridgestone Invitational. Before leaving Firestone, he said he jarred his back when he hopped into a deep bunker after playing a shot on the par-5 second hole from an awkward lie off the slope above the sand.

“It’s just the whole lower back,” Woods said. “I don’t know what happened.”

Making the picture look even bleaker was the timing. Woods had back surgery on March 31 to alleviate the pain from a pinched nerve. The Bridgestone Invitational was only his third tournament since returning from a three-month absence.

And there he went again, riding off the golf course in a cart, struggling to even remove his shoes before LaCava drove him to the airport for a flight back to Florida for evaluation.

“Obviously, I feel bad for him,” Rory McIlroy said. “The game of golf really needs Tiger. He’s had a few withdrawals the past couple of years. I think the first thing is just to get fit and 100 per cent healthy, even if that means taking the year off and coming back next year ready to play golf.”

If he doesn’t play the PGA Championship, his season indeed would be over.

Woods has to win the final major of the year to qualify for the FedEx Cup play-offs. He would have to win to clinch a spot on the Ryder Cup team. And by the sound of US captain Tom Watson, he would have to play at Valhalla to even merit consideration as a wild-card selection.

“Tiger would be a great addition to our team,” Watson said. “I’ve said all along, I would pick Tiger Woods if he’s healthy and playing well. This doesn’t bode well right now. I just hope that maybe it’s just an isolated problem that he can turn around and possibly play this week at the PGA.”

Watson said he watched the entire front nine and knew something was wrong with Woods after his tee shot on the par-3 fifth hole came up 65 yards short.

“You don’t hit that terrible a shot ever – ever,” Watson said. “And I said, ‘Something is wrong’.”

LaCava noticed it much earlier, when Woods hit a shot so heavy that it came up 30 yards short of the flag and into the water on the third hole.

“I knew he was hurting when he fatted the one on three, which he never does,” LaCava said. “He never fats them like that.”

Woods kept playing, though, until grimacing on a tee shot at the ninth, slowly bending to remove his tee and calling for a cart to take him in. Why not stop sooner?

“He’s tough,” LaCava said. “Tough and stubborn would be two good words.”

Woods has not been back to Valhalla in 14 years, not since that high-charged play-off victory over Bob May that gave Woods his third straight major on his way to an unprecedented sweep of the majors at the height of his game. Woods was recovering from season-ending knee surgery in 2008 and did not play in the Ryder Cup.

The course has changed since, with Jack Nicklaus making various tweaks, especially around the greens. The par is now 71 with the second hole changed to a par four. Otherwise, it looked to be in immaculate conditions on the first day of practice.

Phil Mickelson, coming off a 62 in the final round at Firestone, played nine holes. The practice range and chipping area were crowded with players.

McIlroy already was back at work, having established himself as the overwhelming favourite coming off his wire-to-wire win at the British Open and rallying from three shots behind to win at Firestone.

Still to be determined is whether Woods would be able to join them.

Associated Press