LOS ANGELES — Three-time champion Tiger Woods has ruled himself out of next month's US Open at Pinehurst in North Carolina as he recovers from back surgery, the second successive major championship he will miss this year. The former world No. 1 has been sidelined from competitive golf since late March after requiring treatment for a pinched nerve in his back that had troubled him for months, and was unable to compete at the Masters in April. “Unfortunately, I won't be there because I'm not yet physically able to play competitive golf,” Woods said in a statement on his website Wednesday, referring to the June 12-15 US Open. “The US Open is very important to me, and I know it's going to be a great week. Despite missing the first two majors (this year), and several other important tournaments, I remain very optimistic about this year and my future.” This will be the sixth major championship missed by Woods due to injury, and he remains stuck on his career tally of 14 wins, having not clinched one of golf's blue riband events since the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines. Woods has not set a timetable for his likely return and could possibly also miss the year's third major, the July 17-20 British Open at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, England. The 38-year-old American has been increasingly plagued by injuries in recent seasons as the wear and tear of years on the tour have begun to take a toll. He failed to finish the PGA Tour's Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens in early March, quitting after 13 holes in his final round. The American then tweaked his back again on the last day of the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami just one week later. Woods pulled out of the Mar. 20-23 Arnold Palmer Invitational, a key lead-up tournament he has won eight times, in the hope that he could play at the Masters before he opted to undergo surgery on March 31. He said he risked further injury had he kept playing because of the repetitive motion from golf but that there should be no long-lasting effects from the surgery. Woods has missed two British Opens, one US Open, one Masters and one PGA Championship since 2008 because of injuries, and will now add to that number next month. He is a three-time winner of the year's second major, having triumphed at the US Open in 2000, 2002 and 2008. Nicklaus still backs Woods Woods has endured a victory drought of almost six years at the majors but Jack Nicklaus remains convinced that the former world No. 1 is capable of winning at least five more over the next decade, if he stays healthy. Woods needs a further five wins in golf's grand slam events to surpass the record 18 career majors piled up by Nicklaus, his childhood hero. “If he's healthy, I think Tiger's got 10-plus years to play top quality tournament golf,” Nicklaus told reporters Wednesday, on the eve of this week's Memorial Tournament which he hosts in Dublin, Ohio. “I've said many times, he's got a little over 40 tournaments to play the major championships, he's only got to win five to pass my record. As good a player as he is, I don't think that should be a big deal. “But then again he's gotta do it. Plus he's also got to be healthy to be able to do it,” said the 74-year-old American, who has long been known as the ‘Golden Bear.' — Agencies
