The world’s greatest golfer, Tiger Woods, on Tuesday announced he would not be playing in next week’s U.S. Open.
Woods last played at another major, the PGA Championship, and rebounded after an opening 74 to shoot 69 on the second day. But a little more than a year after a devastating car crash, Woods tired on day 3, shooting 79. He then withdrew from the tournament, skipping day 4.
The 46-year-old golfer looked drained in his last round, but there were hopes he’d reappear at the U.S. Open. Woods dashed those hopes on Tuesday.
“I previously informed the USGA that I will not be competing in the U.S. Open as my body needs more time to get stronger for major championship golf,” Woods wrote on Twitter. “I do hope and plan to be ready to play in Ireland at JP McManus Pro-Am and at The Open next month. I’m excited to get back out there soon.”
Woods could be preparing to play in the British Open next month. The world’s oldest major will be held at St. Andrews, a mostly flat and easy-to-walk course. Woods won at the Old Course in 2000 and 2005, and he has called St. Andrews his favorite course in the world.
Word that Woods was dropping out of the U.S. Open came after another report that he had rejected a massive offer to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.
Former world No. 1 Greg Norman, CEO of the new golf league, told The Washington Post that Woods “was offered, and turned down, a deal that was ‘mind-blowingly enormous.’ The offer reached into the ‘high nine’ digits, Norman said,” according to the New York Post.
“Woods acknowledged before that he was approached by the LIV Tour before but rejected it,” the Post said.
The Saudi-backed league has also wooed other top names in golf. “LIV Golf reportedly offered Jack Nicklaus more than $100 million to run the operation (Nicklaus passed), reportedly offered Dustin Johnson $125 million to play (DJ didn’t pass) and, according to one Golf Channel report, paid [Phil] Mickelson an astounding $200 million to sign up,” the Post reported in a separate article.
Woods last month weighed in on the new league after Mickelson complained about the PGA.
“[Mickelson] has his opinion on where he sees the game of golf going. I have my viewpoint on how I see the game of golf, and I’ve supported the tour and my foundation has run events on the tour for a number of years. I just think that what Jack [Nicklaus] and Arnold [Palmer] have done in starting the tour and breaking away from the PGA of America and creating our tour in ’68 or ’69, somewhere in there, I just think there’s a legacy to that,” Woods told reporters in May.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.