22 Jun 2014

Tiger to play only one event before Open

12:46 pm on 22 June 2014

The former golf world number one Tiger Woods will return from a layoff of three months next week, but will not play again before the British Open in mid-July, according to an American newspaper report.

Jim Justice, the tournament chairman for the US PGA Tour Greenbrier Classic that tees off July 3, told the Register-Herald that 14-time major champion Woods would not be playing in the West Virginia event or anywhere else between the National, from June 26, and the British Open.

Justice says he received a courtesy call from Marc Steinberg, Woods's agent, to say Woods would not be playing at Greenbrier.

Woods, who underwent back surgery to ease a pinched nerve on March 31, has not played a competitive round since May 9, at Doral, but announced he would play at next week's event at Congressional Country Club near Washington, a tournament that benefits Woods' charity foundation and is operated by it.

Woods, 38, would have two weeks to recover from Congressional before the British Open at Royal Liverpool, where he hoisted the claret jug in 2006.

Woods, who missed the Masters for the first time in his career and last week's US Open because of the surgery, has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open.