New York, Jun 8: There is no stopping to the recent spate of plight that has befallen upon him. First his numerous extra-marital affairs came to the fore, following that was the discord in his family-life which eventually ended with divorce from his wife and then there was the loss of form. For a man, who was heads and shoulders above any other golfer, his indiscretion has bought him to this stage of life where nothing seems to be going right. And another chapter in his downslide is an injury which has forced him to sit out of the US Open for the first time in the last 15 years.

Woods had hurt his knee and Achilles tendon during the Masters at Augusta in April 2011.

Announcing his decision to withdraw from the US Open at Congressional in Maryland, the 14-time major winner had said that he didn't want to aggravate the problem.

In a statement on his website, Woods said, "I am extremely disappointed that I won't be playing in the US Open, but it's time for me to listen to my doctors and focus on the future. I was hopeful that I could play, but if I did, I risk further damage to my left leg. My knee and Achilles tendon are not fully healed."

Acknowledging his downward spiral, the former World No.1 who has now slipped to the 15th position in the rankings said, "It's been a frustrating and difficult year, but I'm committed to my long-term health," and hoping for a brighter future he added, "I hope to be ready for AT&T National, the next two majors and the rest of the year."

Woods, the US Open winner in 2000, 2002 and 2008 had played in each of the last 15 US Opens and is yet to win any tournament worldwide since the 2008 US Open triumph.

Meanwhile, the US Open officials have said that 23-year old amateur Michael Whitehead from Sugar Land, Texas will replace Woods in the tournament.

Mike Davis, US Golf Association Executive Director in a statement, expressed his disappointment over Wood's absence and said, "We are disappointed that Tiger Woods, a three-time champion, will not be able to play in the 2011 US Open. We completely understand that he is not fully recovered from his injuries and we wish him a speedy recovery. The excitement that he generates will be missed..."

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