The 84th Northern Trust Open will begin next Thursday, February 17 at Riviera Country Club, but the tournament will be without Tiger Woods, who is skipping the tournament for the fifth straight year. Woods, who is playing overseas in the Dubai Classic this weekend, was not among the entries to the Northern Trust Open by Friday's 2 .p.m. deadline. Tournament director Mike Bone but on a brave face regarding Woods for reporters, per Jill Painter of the Los Angeles Daily News:
"It's still an incredibly strong field," Bone said. "I think we have a great mixture of new and up-and-coming stars and some great names we're all comfortable and familiar with. It should set up for some interesting golf.
"I don't know that you'll find many stronger fields on the PGA Tour."
Steve Stricker, last year's champion, and Phil Mickelson, who won the Northern Trust Open in 2008 and 2009, are among the players in this year's field. Woods has played at Riviera 11 times in his career without a win, including twice as an amateur. He finished second twice, losing in a playoff to Billy Mayfair in 1998 and finishing tied for second place in 1999, back when the tournament was known as the Nissan Open.