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Tiger Woods withdraws from the British Open

GettyImages-543292454
GettyImages-543292454

For the first time in his career, Tiger Woods will miss at least the first three majors in a season.

Woods withdrew from the British Open on Friday, making official that the 14-time major champion will miss the first three majors of the year.

Australian Marcus Fraser replaces Woods in the field at Royal Troon in Scotland from July 14-17.

Woods missed both the Masters and U.S. Open, the first two majors of the year. He entered the U.S. Open on the Monday of Masters Week in the event that his back, operated on three times since March 2014, was in good enough shape to take on the rigors of Oakmont Country Club. Woods had also officially entered the Open Championship.

The 40-year-old hasn’t played competitive golf since finishing tied for 10th place in the Wyndham Championship in August 2015. A month later, he underwent a second microdiscectomy surgery on his back. A month after that, Woods had a follow-up procedure on the same region in his back.

At last week’s Quicken Loans National, which Woods and his foundation host, Woods suggested he might not want to play at all in 2016.

“I don’t know,” said Woods. “I want to play. Put it that way. I want to play. I don’t know if I will. But I do want to. But I’m trying. I’m trying each and every day I’m doing my workouts. … I’m working my tail off.”