Former world No. 1 golfer Tiger Woods announced Monday that he is ending his current Tour schedule to concentrate on family life and new physical ailments.
Woods tweeted that his occasional appearances on the U.S. PGA Tour simply cannot be expected to offset his medical issues.
“It’s disappointing to have to take the time off, but health is my first priority and I need to fully recover,” Woods tweeted Monday. “I feel like I have unfinished business to attend to, as I did at the British Open.”
It’s disappointing to have to take the time off, but health is my first priority and I need to fully recover. I feel like I have unfinished business to attend to, as I did at the British Open. — Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 19, 2018
The 13-time major champion, who hasn’t played competitive golf since the 2017 PGA Championship after undergoing a procedure on his lower back, said last week that he intended to put everything into practicing with his children.
“I felt really good this week. I was driving the ball far, hitting it as hard as I could. But I need to practice longer, I need to practice stronger. I need to give my body an opportunity to adjust,” Woods said Thursday.
Woods’ announcement came one day after he started making appearances at golf events and was announced as an analyst for NBC Sports Golf.
Woods, 42, last competed in a regular tour event in August 2017. His return drew widespread attention from fans as he posted a video on Twitter showing him practicing golf at his Jack Nicklaus-designed resort in central Florida.
The children Woods has with his wife, former model Erica Herman, had been far more visible than his professional playing career. He has not played since the Wyndham Championship in August 2017, where he shot rounds of 79 and 79 in rounds he said at the time “are now irrelevant.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.