DUBLIN, Ohio -- Tiger Woods withdrew from the U.S. Open on Wednesday as he recovers from back surgery that has kept him out of golf for nearly three months. It will be the second U.S. Open, and sixth major, he has missed because of injury over the last six years. The U.S. Open is June 12-15 at Pinehurst No. 2, where Woods tied for third in 1999 and was runner-up in 2005. The announcement on his website was not surprising. A week ago at a promotional event for the Quicken Loans National at Congressional, Woods said he still had not taken a full swing with a golf club and did not know when he could. He had microdiscetomy surgery to relieve a pinched nerve on March 31. "Unfortunately, I wont be there because Im not yet physically able to play competitive golf," Woods said. "Id like to convey my regrets to the USGA leadership, the volunteers and the fans that I wont be at Pinehurst. The U.S. Open is very important to me, and I know its going to be a great week." Woods last played on March 9 at Doral, where he closed with a 78 while suffering what he called back spasms. He withdrew in the middle of the final round at the Honda Classic with back pain a week earlier. Woods is a three-time U.S. Open champion, one short of the record shared by Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones and Willie Anderson. His most recent U.S. Open victory was in 2008 at Torrey Pines, where he won in a playoff over Rocco Mediate a week before he had season-ending knee surgery. That was his 14th victory in 46 majors, a winning rate of 30 per cent as a pro. He has not won a major since Torrey Pines, leaving him four short of Nicklaus record. Woods missed the British Open and PGA Championship after knee surgery in 2008. He missed the U.S. Open and British Open while allowing leg injuries to heal in 2011. He missed the Masters for the first time in April because of back surgery. Nicklaus said earlier Wednesday that Woods health would be the biggest obstacle in breaking his record in the majors. Woods called Nicklaus earlier Wednesday to express regrets about missing the Memorial, and Nicklaus said that Woods indicated he was making progress. "If hes healthy, I think Tiger has got 10-plus years to play top quality tournament golf," Nicklaus said. "And Ive said many times, hes got a little over 40 tournaments to play the major championships; hes only got to win five to pass my record. As good a player as he is, I dont think that should be a big deal. But then again, hes got to do it. Plus, hes also got to be healthy to be able to do it." Woods has not indicated when he might be able to return to competition, saying that would be up to his doctors and how he recovers from the surgery. "Despite missing the first two majors, and several other important tournaments, I remain very optimistic about this year and my future," he said. 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Marshon Lattimore Saints Jersey . -- Canadian ski cross star Marielle Thompson accomplished two goals in one race Saturday.Paris, France - Eight-time champion Rafael Nadal, last years runner-up David Ferrer and British star Andy Murray were a trio of easy second-round winners Thursday at the French Open. Watch live coverage now on TSN and TSN GO. The world No. 1 superstar Nadal whipped young rising Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 on Court Chatrier. The 20-year-old Thiem is the youngest player in the mens top 100. "His ball is so high he was able to hit strong he has completely everything to become a champion," Nadal said of Thiem. "I think today I played a solid match, I knew that if I didnt I would be in trouble." Nadal improved to 61-1 lifetime at Roland Garros, where he beat Ferrer in last years all-Spanish final for a fourth straight title in the French capital. The 27-year-old Nadal is trying to become the first man in tennis history to win five straight French Open championships. Hes captured 44 clay-court titles, placing him second in the Open Era behind only Argentine great Guillermo Vilas (46). The reigning French and U.S. Open titlists third-round opponent will be Argentine Leonardo Mayer. Meanwhile, a fifth-seeded Ferrer won for the eighth time in nine matches at the French with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 spanking of Italian Simone Bolelli and the seventh-seeded reigning Wimbledon champion Murray blew past Aussie Marinko Matosevic 6-3, 6-1, 6-3. Ferrer improved to 13-0 all-time against qualifiers at Grand Slams and reached the thhird round at Roland Garros for the 10th straight year.dddddddddddd Ferrers third-round opponent will be Italian Andreas Seppi. "I am ready for the next round and was very happy with my performance, especially with my consistency," Ferrer said. Twelfth-seeded French favorite Richard Gasquet moved on with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-4 decision against Argentine Carlos Berlocq. No. 19 seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa advanced by beating French wild card Axel Michon 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, while 26th seed Feliciano Lopez of Spain lost 6-3, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 to American fellow left-hander Donald Young, 28th-seeded German Philipp Kohlschreiber erased Uzbekistans Denis Istomin 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, and a 32nd-seeded Seppi dismissed Argentine Juan Monaco 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. "I have actually never won a match outside of the U.S. on red clay," Young said. "So to win two here at the French Open, it means a lot." A rare all-American French Open matchup saw Jack Sock pounce all over two-time NCAA singles champion Steve Johnson, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2. Also on Day 5, the aforementioned Mayer doused Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez topped Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0; Serb Dusan Lajovic drubbed Estonian Jurgen Zopp 6-2, 6-4, 6-4; and 6-foot-10 Croat Ivo Karlovic doused Austrian Andreas Haider-Maurer 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. Karlovic was a clay court runner-up in Germany last week. ' ' '