Tiger Woods' hard-fought journey following his car crash last year has taken a step back after he recently announced he would not be participating in the upcoming US Open tournament. Woods previously pulled out of the PGA Championship early after dealing with constant pain and soreness throughout the event. He is clearly not at full strength yet and will focus on rehabbing his body moving forward.

Here is the official statement from Tiger Woods ahead of the US Open:

I previously informed the USGA that I will not be competing in the @usopengolf as my body needs more time to get stronger for major championship golf. I do hope and plan to be ready to play in Ireland at @JPProAm and at @TheOpen next month. I’m excited to get back out there soon!

Woods' health has been one of the main storylines over the past couple of months in the golf world. His recovery has been swift given that the car crash occurred just last year, but there are clearly still lasting effects of the injuries he sustained.

Tiger Woods is a competitor in every sense of the word. He wants to be able to win every tournament in which he partakes. This decision to sit out of the US Open should help him come back even stronger in the long haul.

Nonetheless, the US Open still projects to be an exciting event with a star-studded field. It is scheduled to begin on June 16 and conclude on June 19 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.