After missing the Masters tournament for the first time professionally last April, Tiger Woods will skip another major championship - the U.S. Open - as he continues to recover from back surgery.
Golf.com reports that Tiger has returned to putting and driving but his official comeback is still uncertain. Tiger made the announcement to miss his second straight major tournament on his website. The U.S. Open is set to begin in June 2014.
From being No. 1, Tiger has slipped to third place since he last played at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March. A pinched nerve in his back had to be operated on. Before, his agent usually makes the announcement regarding his health and return. However, this time, Woods personally gave the news.
He said, "Unfortunately, I won't be there because I'm not yet physically able to play competitive golf. I'd like to convey my regrets to the USGA leadership, the volunteers and the fans that I won't be at Pinehurst." He added in ESPN: "The U.S. Open is very important to me and I know it's going to be a great week. Despite missing the first two majors, and several other important tournaments, I remain very optimistic about this year and my future."
Tiger Woods contacted Jack Nicklaus to forward the news that he will not be able to play. Nicklaus said, "It was a very, very nice call, wishing me well [with] the tournament, sorry he couldn't be here. He said he's doing well, progressing well, and he's looking forward to getting back into the game. He misses it."
According to CBS Sports, the U.S. Open in June 2014 will be the sixth major championship that Tiger Woods will miss in his entire career due to injury. Tiger has won the U.S. Open five times. He last skipped the tournament four years ago. Hopefully, he will be prepared to play competitively in the British Open.
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