Golf

Tiger Woods 'extremely disappointed' as he is forced to withdraw from two events

Tiger Woods will miss the forthcoming Genesis Open and the Honda Classic through injury
Tiger Woods will miss the forthcoming Genesis Open and the Honda Classic through injury Tiger Woods will miss the forthcoming Genesis Open and the Honda Classic through injury

TIGER Woods said he was "extremely disappointed" after having to pull out of two more tournaments over the next fortnight as he continues to battle back spasms.

The 14-time major winner last week took part in just his third event since August 2015, but withdrew before the start of Friday's second round at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic having failed to card a single birdie in an opening 77.

Woods insisted he had not suffered an injury setback at Emirates Golf Club, but has now said he will also have to miss the next two weeks of PGA Tour action - the Genesis Open and the Honda Classic - on medical advice.

"My doctors have advised me not to play the next two weeks, to continue my treatment and to let my back calm down," Woods said on his website.

"This is not what I was hoping for or expecting. I am extremely disappointed to miss the Genesis Open, a tournament that benefits my foundation, and the Honda Classic, my hometown event. I would like to thank Genesis for their support, and I know we will have an outstanding week."

The 41-year-old's future playing schedule will be determined at a later date after his back is reassessed.

The Masters, the first major of the year, gets under way on April 6.

Woods posted the link to his statement on his Twitter account on Friday, indicating he still planned to attend next week's tournament in Los Angeles.

"Really looking forward to seeing everyone genesisopen open next week, unfortunately I won't be able to play," he wrote.

In his first 322 starts as a professional, Woods withdrew from just five events. In his last 19 starts, he has withdrawn four times.

The former world number one did not look 100 per cent fit at various points during his opening round in Dubai, climbing gingerly out of a greenside bunker on his first hole and notably grimacing as he walked off the tee on the seventh, his 16th.

Woods admitted earlier this week that he fears he will "never feel great" again because of the number of injuries he has suffered during his career.

In an interview with Dubai magazine Vision, he said of his road to recovery: "It was tough, it was more than brutal. There were times when I physically didn't know if I could get out of bed. There were times when I needed help just to get out of bed.

"There were plenty of times when I thought I would never play the game (again) at the elite level."

He continued: "I feel good, not great. I don't think I will ever feel great because it's three back surgeries, four knee operations.

"I'm always going to be a little bit sore. But as long as I can function, and function at a good enough level, I'm fine with that."

Woods is now ranked outside the top 650 and is without a win since 2013, with his last major title coming at the 2008 US Open.