Tiger Woods is a three-time US Open champion but the great American will be watching this year's championship from the sidelines for the third-consecutive year.
Woods missed his national open in 2021, 2022 and now this year too, and it'll be extra painful considering the Major takes place in his home city of Los Angeles for the first time in 75 years.
The 47-year-old lives in Jupiter, Florida now but grew up in the suburbs of the Southern Californian city in Cypress, less than 40 miles from Los Angeles Country Club.
The 15-time Major winner is still recovering after his 2021 car accident in LA, where he sustained serious leg, ankle and foot injuries. After making a return to the Majors last year, where he made the cut at The Masters and PGA Championship before skipping the US Open and then missing the cut at the 150th Open, Woods was ready to play in all four of men's golf's biggest events this year.
That was until he developed plantar fasciitis in his right foot, which led to him withdrawing from The Masters, where he made his 23rd consecutive cut, prior to the final day's play. Later in April he underwent a subtalar fusion surgery in his ankle to alleviate the pain from the arthritis he had developed under his ankle joint.
It meant he missed the PGA Championship at Oak Hill last month as well as this week's Major in LA. He will also miss the 151st Open next month, which takes place at Royal Liverpool in England, where he won in 2006.
It's not all bad news for Tiger though, as his fusion surgery should eliminate the pain in his ankle and ensure that he finds walking much easier in the future.
If his recovery goes well and there are no further injuries, the legendary 82-time PGA Tour winner and former World No.1 should be able to return to playing golf towards the end of the year.
A return to the PNC Championship with son Charlie, where he can ride in a cart, isn't out of the question, while a return at Augusta National next April looks a possibility.
