Tiger Woods confirms he won’t play in the Masters

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 four-time Masters winner, has not played a PGA event since last August. Since then, he underwent back surgery and a follow-up procedure to ease discomfort from a pinched nerve. “I’ve been dedicated to my rehab and improving daily, but I’m not physically ready to compete in the Masters,” Woods tweeted.

There had been mystery about Woods’ availability for the tournament, as he had not updated his rehabilitaionstatus for several weeks.