Tiger Woods has pulled out of next week’s U.S. Open, giving his body more time to heal and get stronger, as he still plans to play in the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews in Scotland in July.
Woods, 46, announced that he wouldn’t play in the U.S. Open, scheduled for June 16-19 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, in a statement on his Twitter account on Tuesday.
Woods, a 15-time major champion, said he hopes to play in the JP McManus Pro-Am at Adare Manor in Ireland on July 4-5 and The Open at the Old Course at St. Andrews from July 14-17.
A three-time U.S. Open champion, Woods withdrew from last month’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills after 54 holes. He was limping noticeably on his surgically repaired right leg in cold weather in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He had rallied to make the cut in the second round, but carded a 9-over 79 in the third, his worst career score at the PGA Championship. He was 12 over after 54 holes.
It was just Woods’ second start in an official event after he was seriously hurt in a car wreck outside Los Angeles on Feb. 23, 2021. In his first start in nearly 17 months, Woods finished 47th at the Masters in April after carding 6-over 78 in each of his final two rounds, his worst score at Augusta National.
Woods’ decision to skip the U.S. Open wasn’t unexpected. He complained about his right leg hurting after each of his rounds at the PGA Championship.
“It’s only going to keep getting stronger,” Woods told reporters before the PGA Championship. “The more I use it, the more strength it gains. Am I ever going to have full mobility? No. Never again. But I’ll be able to get stronger. It’s going to ache, but that’s the way it’s going to be.”
