Tiger Woods announced that he will not participate in next week’s Masters tournament.
“After assessing the present condition of my back, and consulting with my medical team, I’ve decided it’s prudent to miss this year’s Masters,” he wrote on his website.
Woods owns four green jackets, winning the major in 1997, 2001, 2002, and 2005. He missed the event for the first time since 1994 in 2013 but rebounded by performing well, particularly considering his recent injury troubles, last year.
“I’ve been hitting balls and training daily, but I’m not physically ready,” Woods explained. “I’ve said all along that this time I need to be cautious and do what’s best for my long-term health and career. Unfortunately, playing Augusta next week wouldn’t be the right decision. I’m absolutely making progress, and I’m really happy with how far I’ve come, but I still have no timetable to return to competitive golf.”
The winner of 14 majors last competed more than seven months ago at the Wyndham Championship. The former world number-one currently sits at 472. His well-documented back troubles make Friday’s announcement unsurprising.
Woods promised in the post to attend the Champions Dinner at Augusta National and called recent years “difficult.”