Tiger Woods withdraws from US Open in bid to be fit to play St Andrews

Tiger Woods has pulled out of next week’s US Open in an effort to be fit for the Open Championship at St Andrews.

The 15-time major winner was forced to pull out of last month’s US PGA Championship at Southern Hills after the third round, having shot a nine-over 79 - his second worst score in relation to par in 27 years of playing the majors - which left only one player behind him of the 79 who made the cut.

Woods fought back from an opening 74 to shoot a second round of 69 in Tulsa and make the cut with a shot to spare, but then laboured to a 79 on Saturday, his worst score ever in the US PGA.

He has now confirmed that he will sit out the US Open at Brookline - which is due to begin a week on Thursday - but hopes that taking an extended break from the game following the US PGA Championship will allow him to meet his playing commitments at both the JP McManus Pro-Am in Limerick on July 4-5 and at St Andrews, with the Open getting under way on July 10.

“I previously informed the USGA that I will not be competing in the US Open as my body needs more time to get stronger for major championship golf,” Woods posted on Twitter on Tuesday.

When Woods, 46, first announced his comeback plans for 2022 following last year’s horrific injuries suffered in a car accident in February, it was widely expected that he would target the 150th Open.

Speaking after his remarkable return to top-flight action in the Masters in April, Woods made it clear how keen he was to compete at the Old Course, scene of two of his three Open victories.

"I am looking forward to St Andrews," he said in April. "That is something that is near and dear to my heart.

"I've won two Opens there, it's the home of golf, it's my favourite golf course in the world. I will be there for that one."

Woods reported himself as feeling “sore” after the third round at Southern Hills and the effects of his injury to his right leg - which he almost lost in a car crash 14 months ago - were obvious as he was seen at times limping from the opening day.

In his pre-tournament press conference at Southern Hills, Woods likened playing in the Masters to climbing Everest and said "it's only going to get flatter and better".

However, when asked how close he is now to the peak level of fitness he will be able to achieve, Woods added: "That's a great question. I don't know.

"There's a lot of hardware in there [the right leg] and there's going to be limitations to what I'm going to be able to do, but I'm going to get stronger. I don't know [by] how much that is or how much range of motion I'll ever get back."

Speaking after his first round of 74, Woods was asked how the injury affects his swing.

"Loading hurts, pressing off it hurts, and walking hurts, and twisting hurts," he said. "It's just golf. If I don't do that, then I'm all right."

Shaun Norris, the South African who played with Woods in the third round and witnessed him making five bogeys in succession for the first time as a pro in the majors, spoke for many in describing the mix of emotions.

"He's such a phenomenal player, you feel so sorry for him having to go through this," Norris said.

"You can see he was battling just to get the ball out of the hole from time to time, even to bend out to put the ball on the tee. It's not easy to see a guy like him have to go through that and struggle like that. He's swinging it nicely, and I think he'll be back once he gets back to normal health and sorts out all the problems."