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Woods limps out of Players Championship

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-14 07:29

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida - Tiger Woods' troubles continued as he withdrew from the Players Championship on Thursday through injury after slipping to six over par after the opening nine holes.

It is the second successive year that the former world No 1 has pulled out of the tournament - he withdrew from the final round last year, after six holes, due to a neck injury.

The 14-times major winner came into the Players, known as the 'fifth major', after suffering knee and Achilles tendon injuries and said he had hurt himself on the first tee shot.

"The knee acted up and then the Achilles followed after that and then the calf started cramping up. Everything started getting tight, so it's just a whole chain reaction," he said.

"This morning, it felt fine during warm-up and then as I played it got progressively worse," said Woods after limping off the course.

Asked how bad the pain was, he said: "I'm having a hard time walking."

One of his playing partners, fellow American Matt Kuchar, said it was clear Woods was in great difficulty.

"Tiger looked like he was in pain today," Kuchar said, "You could tell he was walking quite slowly, quite gingerly. It looked like he was putting it great and driving it great but the other clubs weren't so good for him."

After bogeying the first hole, he found water twice at the par-four fourth where he ended with a triple bogey.

Further bogeys came on the fifth and ninth holes for Woods, who walked slowly and deliberately on the final holes before quitting.

Reuters

(China Daily 05/14/2011 page15)