It's official: Golf's biggest name won't play when the final major of the year comes to New Jersey next week.
Tiger Woods withdrew from the PGA Championship on Tuesday, still not ready to return to competition as he recovers from multiple back surgeries.
By sitting out at Baltusrol next week, Woods will miss all four majors for the first time in his career.
"We have been in contact with Tiger's agent, Mark Steinberg, and he informed us today that our four-time PGA Champion will be unable to join us at Baltusrol Golf Club next week for the 98th PGA Championship," the PGA of America said in a statement Tuesday.
Woods, a 14-time major winner, hasn't played a shot on the PGA Tour since last August's Wyndham Championship _ and Steinberg told GolfChannel.com that Woods won't play in the 2015-16 season. The 2016-17 season begins in October.
In the spring, there had been hope that Woods might be on the verge of a return to competition when he started hitting shots in public. But Woods repeatedly said he wasn't sure when he would return.
And, apparently, he still isn't.
Harold Varner III took Woods' spot in the PGA Championship field.
The year's final major will miss Woods, but it will still have plenty of intrigue.
Phil Mickelson, who won the last time the PGA was held at Baltusrol in 2005, always draws massive crowds when he plays in the New York/New Jersey area. Now, the 46 year old will try to bounce back at Baltusrol less than two weeks after nearly winning the British Open _ the fans are sure to be on his side.
There's also Henrik Stenson, who beat Mickelson with a final round 63, plus U.S. Open champ Dustin Johnson, World No. 1 Jason Day, four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and two-time major winner Jordan Spieth to headline the field.
Tickets for the weekend have already sold out, and Baltusrol is ready to put on a show for the best golfers in the world.
But it won't quite be the same without Woods, who finished fifth the last time the PGA Championship was played at Baltusrol.
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