Former world No.1 golfer Tiger Woods has pulled out of the Dubai Desert Classic ahead of his second round because of a back spasm, the European Tour said on Friday.
The American 14-time major champion, ranked 666th after his long injury layoff due to a series of back issues, shot a miserable five-over-par 77 on Thursday, a round in which he failed to record a single birdie in perfect conditions.
Woods' agent Mark Steinberg said the player started to feel pain on Thursday night and regretted having to pull out.
"He went into a spasm in his lower back very late last night after dinner," Steinberg told reporters. "We tried to work it out last night (but) really didn't get worked out.
"We had treatment starting very early this morning for the past three, three-and-a-half hours, but can't get the back spasm to calm down. He feels terrible."
Steinberg said the problem was not the same nerve pain that caused Woods' lengthy absence from the sport.
Appearing for the eighth time in Dubai, where he had won twice before, the 41-year-old Woods looked out of sorts in his opening round as he continued his comeback at the European Tour event.
His chances of avoiding another early exit looked slim on Thursday, however, with the American appearing to be in some discomfort as he struggled to find a rhythm.
After his round, Woods said he had not felt any pain on the course, but failed to even make it to the practice range on Friday, withdrawing from the event a distant 12 shots behind overnight leader Sergio Garcia.
Woods had also looked rusty a week ago when he played his first full-field PGA Tour event in 17 months after being sidelined by back pain and spinal surgery, comfortably missing the cut at Torrey Pines.
The latest setback could jeopardise his next scheduled event, with Woods due to tee off on February 16 at the PGA Tour Genesis Open in California.
Woods is then due to play a week later in the Honda Classic in Florida.
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