Tiger Woods: Three-time champion out of Open Championship

Tiger Woods has not played since August

Three-time champion Tiger Woods has withdrawn from this month's Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Woods, 40, has not played competitively since August and has had two operations in an attempt to cure a back problem.

The 14-time major winner pulled out on Friday after saying last week that he was making progress but was not in shape to play four consecutive days.

"I'm not quite there yet. I've pushed through a lot of injuries and rehabs before," he said.

Woods, who won the Open in 2000, 2005 and 2006, has been replaced by Marcus Fraser of Australia, while England's Luke Donald is now first on the reserve list.

American Woods, who is now ranked 594 in the world, added last week: "I keep getting physically better. I just hope that everything clicks in and I can do it sooner rather than later.

"I just need to get to where strength-wise I can handle the workload of playing out here on a weekly basis, practising after rounds, not having to go ice my back and all that kind of stuff.

"I am trying to do it correctly at this time."