USPGA Championship: Woods doubt, Johnson out

Tiger Woods is a major doubt for the 2014 USPGA Championship and Dustin Johnson will not be taking part at Valhalla after taking a leave of absence from golf

Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson
Dustin Johnson is out of the USPGA Championship at Valhalla, while Tiger Woods is a major doubt
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Tiger Woods is a major doubt for the 2014 USPGA Championship and Dustin Johnson will not be taking part at Valhalla after taking a leave of absence from golf

Tiger Woods is a major doubt for the 2014 USPGA Championship following his withdrawal from the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational during the final round.

The 38-year-old - who was competing in just his third tournament since back surgery earlier in the year - damaged his lower back on the 2nd hole and pulled out after a drive on the 9th.

"I fell back into the bunker, just jarred it. It’s been spasming ever since. It’s just the whole lower back. I don’t know what happened," Woods told reporters in the car park.

When asked if he'd be taking part in the USPGA Championship, he said: "I don't know, I'm just trying to get out of here."

Woods needed a huge week at Valhalla to make the FedEx Cup play-offs, with Tom Watson, the USA Ryder Cup captain, previously saying he'd only consider Woods for selection if he was playing.

In other news, Dustin Johnson released a statement prior to the start of the Bridgestone saying he was planning a leave of absence from golf.

"I will use this time to seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced," it said.

"By committing the time and resources necessary to improve my mental health, physical wellbeing and emotional foundation, I am confident that I will be better equipped to fulfil my potential and become a consistent champion."

Reports later surfaced that Johnson had been suspended for breaching The PGA Tour's anti-doping policy, something the PGA Tour has denied.

Nick Bonfield
Features Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, writing, commissioning and coordinating all features across print and online. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x