LOS ANGELES • Tiger Woods has confirmed that he will miss the US Open at Oakmont next week, saying he is still not ready to resume competition after back surgery last September.

The 14-time Major champion will miss golf's US Open for the third time in six years.

The American announced on his website on Tuesday that he would skip the second Major of the year, as well as the PGA Tour's Quicken Loans National the following week, which he hosts for the benefit of his charitable foundation.

"While I continue to work hard on getting healthy, I am not physically ready to play in this year's US Open and the Quicken Loans National," the former world No. 1 wrote.

"I am making progress, but I'm not yet ready for tournament competition."

The 40-year-old said he would still attend the National at Congressional near Washington.

"It's the 10th year of our tournament and we continue to support the community, the military and the programmes of the Tiger Woods Foundation," he said.

He won the most recent of his 14 Major titles, second only to Jack Nicklaus' tally of 18, at the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines, his third US Open victory.

He finished tied for second behind Angel Cabrera in the last US Open held at Oakmont in Pittsburgh in 2007.

Woods has not played tournament golf since a microdiscectomy to relieve back pain last September. He had a second procedure in October.

He had fuelled speculation about a return when he registered for the US Open in April, but said last month that there was no timetable for his return.

Speaking at a media day for the National, he said he had to adapt to a new training reality, cutting back on his practice time and the kilometres of running he used to do.

"The plan is to get well," said Woods, who has plummeted out of the top 500 in the world.

"Whether that's next week or a year from now, I don't know."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE