There-time British Open champion Tiger Woods has withdrawn from this month's event at Royal Troon.

The 14-time Major winner has been struggling with a back problem and has not played since August so his non-appearance has not come as a surprise.

Last week he said he was making progress, but that he was not in the right shape to play four days’ consecutively and from past experience did not want to rush his comeback.

“I keep getting physically better. I just hope that everything clicks in and I can do it sooner rather than later,” he said a week ago.

“I guess I still need to get in golf shape. It’s about four, five days in a row.

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

“I’m not quite there yet. I’ve pushed through a lot of injuries and rehabs before. I’m trying to do it correctly at this time.”

The R&A confirmed Woods's withdrawal in a short statement which said: "Tiger Woods has withdrawn from The Open and is replaced by Marcus Fraser of Australia."

Woods’s decision has also boosted Luke Donald’s chances of playing at Troon as he is next on the reserve list.