Tiger Woods officially announced Wednesday that he will be unable to play in the U.S. Open next month.
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Multiple media sites reported that the former No. 1 golfer in the world still is recovering from surgery to alleviate a pinched nerve in his back that he had just prior to the start of The Masters in April.
"Unfortunately, I won't be there because I'm not yet physically able to play competitive golf," said Woods, who will miss his sixth major due to injury as a professional, as reported by ESPN. "I'd like to convey my regrets to the USGA leadership, the volunteers and the fans that I won't be at Pinehurst.
"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."
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USA TODAY Sports reported that Woods made the announcement on his website.
Woods, whose 14 major title victories trail Jack Nicklaus' record of 18, has not won a major since the 2008 U.S. Open. He has been sidelined for four majors since then, the British Open and the PGA Championship that same year because of a knee injury that was apparent during his U.S. Open run and two in 2011 because of knee and Achilles' heel injuries.
ESPN reported that Woods has dropped to No. 3 in the world behind Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson because of his medical leave of absence.
Woods potentially also could miss the British Open in July, the PGA Championship in August and the Ryder Cup in September.
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