Tiger to miss the Masters

Rehabilitation not enough

Charley Hoffman chips onto the 18th green during the second round of the

Houston Open golf tournament on April 1 in Humble, Texas. (AP)

MIAMI, April 2, (AFP): Former world number one Tiger Woods confirmed Friday that he will not participate in next week’s 80th Masters, saying his rehabilitation from back surgery has not progressed far enough to allow him to compete.

The 14-time major champion, a fourtime Masters winner, has not played a PGA event since last August. Since then, he underwent back surgery and a follow- week wouldn’t be the right decision. I’m absolutely making progress, and I’m really happy with how far I’ve come, but I still have no timetable to return to competitive golf.” Woods said he will go to Augusta National for the annual Champions Dinner, where reigning champion Jordan Spieth plans a special Texas barbecue offering, but offered his disappointment to Augusta National and ticket holders that he would not be playing.

“I do to attend the Champions Dinner and see a lot of old friends.”

Woods also thanked supporters for sticking by him through his physical ailments. Woods has not won a major since the 2008 US Open and has not captured any title at all since the 2013 WGC Bridgestone Invitational, his 79th PGA triumph -- three shy of matching Sam Snead’s all-time record.

“I’d like to thank the fans for their concern and support,” Woods said. “The last few years have been difficult, but I have the best fans anywhere, and I want them to know that.”

Woods remains for major wins shy of the record 18 won by Jack Nicklaus, who will serve as honorary starter when the Masters tees off Thursday.

Woods

plan players, they will complete the second round on Saturday.

World number two Spieth, looking to hone his game ahead of his title defence at next week’s Masters, once again followed an impressive round with a mediocre one as he tagged a 73 to his opening 67 for 140.

The 22-year-old American mixed three birdies with four bogeys, three of them coming in his last seven holes, as he finished six strokes off the early pace.

“I’m close,” Masters and US Open champion Spieth told reporters about his overall form. “It’s the dumb stuff, like two water balls on par-fives ... those holes are playing at 4.5 today and I played them with two sixes.

“There’s four strokes right there, as well as two bogeys from 100 yards with wedges in my hand in the fairway this week. It’s the kind of little things that are easy to shave off but it really stinks to keep on making those mistakes.

“I felt like I was hitting it very well at the start of the day. Everything seemed fine, then I made a mistake on three with my first putt and it just all kind of tumbled down from there.”

Spieth won five PGA Tour titles last year, including two majors, but that consistent excellence has given way of late to a series of poor rounds that have sabotaged him.

Among his lowlights this season, the Texan has posted rounds of 76 (Valspar Championship), 79 (Northern Trust Open) and 74 (Pebble Beach Pro-Am).

The cut was projected to fall at oneunder 143 as the second round spilled over into Saturday after play was delayed by 90 minutes earlier on Friday due to the threat of lightning.