Nine days before the start of the tournament, Tiger Woods released a statement on Tuesday announcing that he would not be playing in this year’s U.S. Open. Woods wrote that his body “needs more time” to get stronger for a major tournament, and said he hoped to be ready for The Open Championship in July.
Woods had played in this year’s first two majors: the Masters and PGA Championship. He made the cut both times, though had to withdraw from the PGA Championship in Tulsa after posting a third-round 79, his highest score ever at the tournament.