Tiger Woods out of US Open at Brookline as body needs to get ‘stronger’, hopes to play The Open at St Andrews

Tiger Woods will not play at the US Open as his “body needs more time to get stronger”, but hopes to compete at The Open at St Andrews.

The 15-time major winner made a surprise return at the Masters in April after 17 months out following a car crash.

But he then withdrew from the PGA Championship in May after three rounds and will not play next week’s US Open in Brookline, Massachusetts.

“I will not be competing in the US Open as my body needs more time to get stronger for major championship golf,” Woods said 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 produced a largely encouraging showing at the Masters as he made the cut and finished in 47th place.

However, at the PGA Championship he played his third worst major round, which included making five consecutive bogeys for the first time in a major.

Woods said earlier this year that he hopes to play The Open on his “favourite golf course in the world”.

“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.”

While Woods will not be in action at the US Open, players from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series will be permitted to play.

The PGA Tour has threatened sanctions against players signing up for the breakaway series, which starts at Centurion Club this week, but golf’s four majors are not run by the PGA Tour.

Former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson is the most high-profile player to leave the PGA Tour and join the LIV Series.

The United States Golf Association, which runs the US Open, said: “Regarding players who may choose to play in London [at the LIV event] this week, we simply asked ourselves this question – should a player who had earned his way into the 2022 US Open, via our published field criteria, be pulled out of the field as a result of his decision to play in another event?

“And we ultimately decided that they should not.”