Tiger Woods announced Wednesday that he has removed his name from consideration for the U.S. Ryder Cup captain’s pick.
Woods informed his fans on his website that he will not play competitive until his World challenge tournament at Isleworth in Orlando, Florida, December 1-7.
“I've been told by my doctors and trainer that my back muscles need to be rehabilitated and healed. They've advised me not to play or practice now. I was fortunate that my recent back injury was not related to my surgery and was muscular only,” Woods said.
Woods has already spoken to Tom Watson about his decision.
The automatic qualifies have already been locked in for the U.S.. Watson will pick three players on September 2 according to Yahoo Sports.
“My primary wish is for Tiger to be healthy and competitive, and I hope that he’ll return to the game very soon,” said Watson.
Watson may be forced to choose players with little to no Ryder Cup experience. Jason Dufner, a captain’s pick hopeful, pulled out of the PGA Championship with back spasms, as did Matt Kuchar with health issues.