Tiger Woods said he will take a break before preparing to defend his Zozo Championship and Masters titles after missing the cut at the U.S. Open on Friday.
Woods endured a disappointing and frustrating outing in New York, where the 15-time major champion failed to qualify for the weekend following a 7-over-par 77.
A three-time U.S. Open champion, Woods finished with a score of 10 over at the unforgiving Winged Foot Golf Club, having holed two double bogeys and five bogeys on Day 2. Patrick Reed tops the leaderboard at 4 under.
“It’s frustrating that I’m not going to be here for the weekend,” Woods said as defending champion Gary Woodland, Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson also missed the cut.
“It feels like the way the golf course is changing, anybody who makes the cut has the opportunity to win this championship. I didn’t get myself that opportunity.
“It’s never easy to not be playing for the championship on the weekend. The whole goal of entering an event is to win, and when I don’t give myself that opportunity over the weekend, it doesn’t feel good.”
“Physically it was frustrating that I didn’t drive the ball as well as I needed to,” added the 44-year-old. “Iron play was pretty much the way it has been. It’s been good, and I finally putted well. But on this golf course it’s imperative that you hit fairways, and I did not do that.”
Woods is now eyeing some recovery ahead of the Zozo Championship and rescheduled Masters.
The American superstar secured a record-equaling 82nd PGA Tour crown after winning last year’s Zozo Championship, and he will have the chance to move clear in the history books when the tournament starts on Oct. 22.
Woods will then try to claim back-to-back Masters trophies at Augusta, beginning Nov. 12.
“Probably I’m not going to be swinging a club for a little bit,” he said. “Well, until Tuesday. And then after that, take a little break. And then refocus and get back after it.
“There’s still one more major to go, and my title defense at Sherwood. We have a couple big, big things ahead of us.”