Tiger Woods pulls out of USPGA Championship

Tiger Woods has pulled out of next week's US PGA Championship and abandoned hope of playing on tour this season.

The 14-time major winner is continuing to build up fitness to compete after undergoing two back operations last autumn.

It has meant Woods has not played a tournament since finishing tied for 10th at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina last August.

The 40-year-old’s agent, Mark Steinberg, says Woods has chosen to focus on recovering full fitness for next season, which begins in October.

Steinberg detailed Woods’ fitness in an email quoted by GolfChannel.com, saying: “Continuing to make progress, but simply not ready for PGA. Will not play in the ‘15/’16 season and will continue to rehab and work hard to then assess when he starts play for the ‘16/’17 season.”

The PGA of America announced on its website that Woods would be absent for the year’s final major, just as he was for the Masters, US Open and Open Championship in a frustrating 2016.

In a statement, the PGA of America said: “We have been in contact with Tiger’s agent, Mark Steinberg, and he informed us today that our four-time PGA champion will be unable to join us at Baltusrol Golf Club next week for the 98th PGA Championship.”

The tournament begins at Baltusrol in Springfield, New Jersey, on July 28, and the absence of Woods means he will have missed all four majors in a season for the first time in his career.

Woods is due to be a vice-captain of the United States team for the Ryder Cup which begins at Hazeltine National on September 30.

He has fallen away to 628th in the world rankings during his injury break and last won a tournament in August 2013 when he triumphed at the Bridgestone International in Akron, Ohio.

His last major victory came at the 2008 US Open.