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LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Joe LaCava walked nearly every blade of grass on the 18th green at Valhalla Golf Club, jotting notes in his yardage book after stepping off the distances from every edge of the green to every possible pin position. It was just like any other Monday at a major. The caddie just didnt know whether any of this information would be useful in the PGA Championship. LaCava was awaiting word on whether his boss -- Tiger Woods -- would be healthy enough to play the final major of the year. "Im optimistic," LaCava said after he finished charting the entire golf course. "Im hoping he plays. So Im just doing whatever work I would normally do." 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 in an email that Monday would be 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 that Woods would not have his previously scheduled news conference 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 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. "Its just the whole lower back," Woods said. "I dont know what happened." Making the picture look even bleaker was the timing. Woods had back surgery 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 told the BBC on Monday. "The game of golf really needs Tiger. Hes 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 doesnt 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 playoffs. He would have to win to clinch a spot on the Ryder Cup team. And by the sound of U.S. 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 told SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio on Monday. "Ive said all along, I would pick Tiger Woods if hes healthy and playing well. This doesnt bode well right now. I just hope that maybe its 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 dont 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 3, 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? "Hes 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 playoff 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 green. The par is now 71 with the second hole changed to a par 4. 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. Wholesale NHL Jerseys China . Its been two seasons in one for both parties and neither will look back on the first 18 games fondly. "I think I took the fall for a lot of things," said Gay, reflecting on his short time in Toronto ahead of Wednesdays game against his former club. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . -- Canadian Erik Bedard pitched into the fifth inning in his bid to win a spot in Tampa Bays rotation, helping the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Saturday. https://www.chinanhljerseys.us/ . "Ive got a lot of work to do on this team and the sooner that I can get back to my office and start that work, itll be better," he said straight-faced as the rest of the room erupted in laughter. Cheap NHL Jerseys Authentic . made a diving catch in left field for the final out in a 1-0 victory over the Miami Marlins in a regular-season finale Sunday. Zimmermann (14-5) allowed only two baserunners, finishing with 10 strikeouts and one walk in the fifth no-hitter in the majors this year. Discount NHL Jerseys . Van Slyke drove in a career-high four runs with two homers off struggling left-hander Tony Cingrani, and the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled away to a 6-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night, a rare comfortable win in their pitching-dominated series.GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Clevelands Jason Giambi will be sidelined for about three-to-four weeks with a broken rib in his right side. Giambi was hit by a pitch thrown by Edwin Jackson of the Chicago Cubs in the third inning of a March 7 game. X-rays at the time were negative, but Cleveland said Thursday the 43-year-old Giambi had felt increased discomfort over previous five days. "As he continued to show tenderness, we got him an MRI yesterday," manager Terry Francona said. "We treat the symptoms. He will be down for a number of days without activity, just getting treatment. Then when the symptoms are better, we can start getting him into activities. Then we can get him into baseball activities." The 2000 AL MVP, Giambi is a non-roster invitee to big league training camp. The designated hitter hopes to play in his 20th major league season and second with the Indians. Giambi has been hit by 179 pitches during the regular season, 11th on the career list. "I kind of knew. It was a cutter in it hit me just under the pad," said Giambi, who picked the ball up and flipped the it to Jackson. "I didnt want him to think it hurt." Giambi probably will not make the opening-day roster, but the Indians are hoping he will rrebound and be in position to join the big league team later.dddddddddddd "It is why you try to evaluate everybody, because if you need a plan B or a plan C, you have it," Francona said. Giambi is optimistic he will be back soon. "Its not tragic. At least its not displaced," he said. "The doctors told me it is going to be sore and we have to get the trauma down. Guys play with this all the time. Im not discouraged. Its really small, but with the trauma it wont let me swing right now. Its the human body protecting itself." Nyjer Morgan and Jeff Francoeur also are in camp on minor league contracts. Morgan strained his left calf Wednesday. "The trainers say day to day," Francona explained. "We have to protect him from himself. Hes kind of on a mission here if not to show us, to show the world hes back. He plays so hard. He has to pass some tests on the medical side. Thats not to hinder him. Thats to protect him." Right-hander J.C. Ramirez broke his left thumb and sprained a ligament during a "B" game on Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox and will be sidelined for eight-to-10 weeks. He is scheduled for surgery Monday with Dr. Thomas Graham at the Cleveland Clinic. ' ' '