Woods withdraws from US Open

Tiger Woods remains optimistic about his future despite ruling himself out of next month's US Open in order to continue his rehabilitation from back surgery.

The 38-year-old world number three last week gave the strongest indication yet that he would not be able to compete at Pinehurst from June 12-15, admitting his recovery from his March 31 operation was ''slow and tedious'' and saying he was still unable to hit full shots.