A year without stars winning, and now Tiger Woods out of Bay Hill

Adam Scott, of Asutralia, hits his tee shot on the first hole during a pro-am before start of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill Wednesday, March 19, 2014, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (The Associated Press)

Adam Scott, of Australia, hits from the first fairway during a pro-am before the start of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bayhill Wednesday, March 19, 2014, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) (The Associated Press)

ORLANDO, Fla. – The four-time Masters champion has an ailing back, and he's been having it checked out even more regularly the last two weeks. It has reached the point that he is planning surgery after the Masters to see if he can get more comfortable playing golf.

Tiger Woods?

No, that would be Arnold Palmer.

Palmer says he plans a back operation next month "to help me enjoy the game a little more."

Palmer can't speak for Woods, who is unable to defend his title this week in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

A year ago, all the talk was that Woods was back. He won Bay Hill to return to No. 1 in the world for the first time in more than two years. Now all the talk is about Woods' back.