Struggling Woods pulls out of PGA

TULSA (Oklahoma) • Tiger Woods, struggling in his comeback from severe leg injuries suffered in a car crash last year, withdrew from the PGA Championship on Saturday night.

The decision came hours after shooting a nine-over 79, his highest score over 22 PGA Championship appearances.

An unsettling scene of Woods trying to perform a simple pre-round exercise on Saturday presaged the interruption of his celebrated return to competitive elite golf.

As the 15-time Major champion walked down an incline alongside a common practice area bunker, his right leg, which was surgically reconstructed 15 months ago with a rod, pins and screws, buckled.

Woods nearly collapsed into the sand, but quickly used a golf club and a half step with his left leg to remain upright. On the golf course, the former world No. 1 continued to limp and move slowly and stiffly, descending into a tie for last place on the leaderboard at 12-over 222, and his halting gait and deteriorating game was so striking.

PGA of America president Jim Richerson said in response to his withdrawal: "We admire Tiger's valiant effort to compete here at Southern Hills and wish him the best as he continues to recover from his injuries."

After narrowly making the cut here, a defiant Woods predicted he still had a chance to win the PGA Championship. Any remaining belief disappeared after his third-worst round at a Major.

Just making the cut in Tulsa was something to celebrate but for Woods, there was precious little to cheer, even though the thousands of fans who gathered to watch him roared on every shot.

Earlier in the event, the 46-year-old described how his recovery from golf rounds now includes many hours of ice baths and physical therapy. His pullout places his participation at the US Open, the third Major of the year, in doubt, with the tournament just outside Boston beginning on June 16.

The last time the PGA Championship was played at Southern Hills in 2007, the temperature hit 40 deg C. But that was during August in Oklahoma. The Major is now contested in May, and the third round brought 10 deg C temperatures, blustery winds and a field unnerved by the conditions.

With shots made unpredictable by swirling gusts, a bevy of golfers jockeyed for the lead, with unheralded Mito Pereira of Chile carding a one-under 69 to end with a nine-under 201 total and a three-shot lead going into the final round.

England's Matt Fitzpatrick (67) and the second-round leader, Will Zalatoris (73), shared second place at six-under. Fellow American Cameron Young (67) was in fourth at five-under.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, NYTIMES