Shock as Tiger Woods misses Royal Birkdale event

Jun 19 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

THE golf world was reeling last night with the news that Tiger Woods will miss the Open at Royal Birkdale next month – and he will be out for the rest of the year.

It means the American world number one, who won the 14th major of his career by winning the US Open on Monday, won’t return to the North West to challenge for the title he won for the third time at Royal Liverpool in 2006.

It was announced that Woods has a double stress fracture of his left tibia and needs anterior cruciate ligament surgery – and he knew about it before his US Open play-off victory against fellow American Rocco Mediate.

Michael Campbell, one of the few players in world golf to have held off Tiger Woods to win a major, expects the world number one to return with “all guns blazing” next season. The 2005 US Open champion said in Munich, where he starts the BMW International today: “To have such an icon like Tiger not play for the rest of the year, we will miss him.

“It will be quite different not to have Tiger in any events. He adds so much, another dimension to every tournament he plays in.

“It’s a shame, but it gives us more of a chance. I understand the disappointment of the fans and sponsors not seeing him perform – he does great things for TV, like how he finished the third round last week.

“It’s spectacular and the fans love it. You were not quite sure how bad the injury was, but obviously it was pretty bad and there were some serious things going on with the left knee. We just wish him the best.”

John Daly, also in Germany, added: “It’s tough. We knew he was in pain, but with the technology and surgery these days you would have thought it would heal. The world will miss him. His US Open win is even more impressive now. It was phenomenal.

“It is a blow to all the fans who follow him, the sponsors – the money wouldn’t be where it is if it wasn’t for him. A lot of people don’t realise if it wasn’t for Tiger we wouldn’t be playing for what we are now.”

George O’Grady, chief executive of the European Tour, stated: “Everyone in sport will be shocked and saddened by this news.

“We at The European Tour wish Tiger a swift and full recovery and look forward to making him welcome when he is fit to return to the fairways of the world.”

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said: “For an athlete as talented and competitive as Tiger Woods, taking the rest of the season off must have been an incredibly difficult, yet necessary decision, one that we understand and support completely.

“The fact he needs additional surgery only makes his performance and victory at last week’s US Open all the more impressive.

“First and foremost, our concern – as it would be for any of our players facing surgery or illness – is for Tiger’s health and overall wellbeing, both on and off the golf course. We wish him a speedy recovery.”

In a statement Woods, 32, said: “I knew much was made about my knee throughout the last week and it was important to me that I disclose my condition publicly at an appropriate time.

“I wanted to be very respectful of the USGA (United States Golf Association) and their incredibly hard work and make sure the focus was on the US Open.

“Now it is clear that the right thing to do is listen to my doctors, follow through with this surgery and focus my attention on rehabilitating my knee.”

The statement added that the stress fracture was discovered last month just before the Memorial tournament in Ohio.

That was due to be Woods’s comeback from the knee surgery he underwent two days after coming second in The Masters in April.

But the fact that he then decided to play at Torrey Pines, a course where he has now won five times in a row, simply defies belief.

Repeatedly during the five days of the event – the US Open play-off is over 18 holes and with both players still tied at the end of that it went to another hole – Woods was in agony.

The caddie of Robert Karlsson, who played with Woods in the third round, said there were even noises coming from the knee as Woods swung.