Golf:Tiger Woods will not be at Sandwich for next week's British Open Championship — the second time he has missed the event in four years. The former world number one, out of action since mid-May, announced today that due to injuries to his left leg that have not fully healed he would not be making the trip.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been advised that I should not play in the British Open,” said Woods on his website. "As I stated at the AT&T National, I am only going to come back when I'm 100 per cent ready. I do not want to risk further injury. That's different for me, but I'm being smarter this time. I'm very disappointed and want to express my regrets to the British Open fans."
The three-time champion - he won at St Andrews in 2000 and 2005 and then Hoylake the following year - was also an absentee at Birkdale in 2008 following reconstructive knee surgery straight after his US Open victory a month earlier. Woods personally contacted Peter Dawson, R&A chief executive, to explain why he is unable to play.
He has now had four knee operations in all during his career and after the US Masters in April was diagnosed with a Grade 1 mild medial collateral ligament sprain to his left knee and a mild strain to his left Achilles tendon, suffered while hitting a shot from under a tree at Augusta.
He was unable to play in the Wells Fargo Championship and withdrew after nine holes in the first round at the Players Championship after re-injuring his leg on the opening tee shot. Woods hoped to return for the US Open, but did not make that and also did not compete last week at the AT&T National.
"In hindsight, I probably shouldn't have competed at The Players, but it's a big event and I wanted to be there to support the tour," added Woods. "I've got to learn from what I did there and do it right this time and not come back until I'm ready. I think my best years are still ahead of me and I'm very confident and optimistic about the future."
Dawson wished Woods all the best for his rehabilitation: "I know how disappointed Tiger is not to be able to play in The Open this year. Naturally, we are sorry that a player of his calibre isn’t able to join us at Royal St George’s, but we wish him well in his recovery and hope to see him back soon, competing in front of the fans that love to see him play the game."
Woods will be replaced by American Jason Dufner, who made his Open debut at St Andrews last year, before finishing tied-fifth in the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
This follows a weekend in which another four players secured their places at Sandwich. Denmark’s Thorbjorn Oleson and American Charles Howell III earned exemptions by virtue of their respective performances at the French Open and AT&T National.
Swede Fredrik Jacobson and American Harrison Frazar did the same after finishing as the leading players - not already exempt - in a PGA Tour mini-money list.
Yesterday Americans Webb Simpson, JB Holmes and Steve Marino, along with Fiji’s Vijay Singh and Yuta Ikeda of Japan, were promoted from the reserve list, bringing the current field to 154 players, with the two last places available this weekend at the John Deere Classic and Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.
