A couple of weeks ago, the word from Team Tiger was that the rehab was ahead of schedule. Now they’re saying he won’t return until the US Open.

Tiger Woods will not play any competitive golf until he tees off at the United States Open in three weeks’ time.

After undergoing knee surgery following last month’s US Masters, Woods had hoped to be fit enough for next week’s Memorial tournament in Ohio, but officials were notified yesterday that he will not be playing.

Wouldn’t it be something if he had to miss the US Open. The golf world would be in shock.

Local news is reporting that Tiger Woods not only will play the Buick Open at Warwick Hills in late June, but also will hold a golf “clinic” at Comerica Park. Tickets are $50, including a one-day pass to the Buick Open, and $150, including a week long pass to the Buick Open.

I don’t think I’ll be attending this one. I can’t imagine paying $50 for the “privilege” of sitting in the stands of a baseball stadium with 20,000 other people to watch Tiger hit balls.

The good news is that he’s coming to Michigan for the Buick. Warwick Hill is a great course, and I’m sure to go to at least one practice round.  You can see photos of Warwick Hills in the gallery.

Tiger held a telephone press conference to promote the BMW Championship in St. Louis and inevitably, the questions were about his knee.

“The rehab is going well,” Woods said from Orlando “I’ll you what, I’m getting sick and tired of riding the bike.”

I haven’t heard the entire conference, but its interesting that different news sources have different takes on the news. USA Today’s headline says: Woods hoping to play Memorial at end of May and has a generally positive reaction to the news.

But Ed Sherman of the Chicago Tribune thought it sounded like bad news:

From hearing Woods talk, it doesn’t sound as if he will be ready to return by the Memorial at the end of the month. His golf work has been limited to chipping and putting, making the June 12-15 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines a more realistic target date.

Jeremy Fowler, the Orlando Sentinel’s golf writer says that the knee is likely to be a long term problem:

… Tiger could have long-term problems with his recently injured left knee. His hips turn through the swing so quickly that his knee sort of snaps aggressively. His last swing change with Hank Haney was designed in part to alleviate leg and knee stress. I’m no Haney, but from what I’m hearing, another swing tweak, even if minor, could be imminent. We’re talking about repetition taking its toll over the years.

And around and around they go.

Only Tiger really knows. And he’s not talking.

Bad news for US Open hopefuls. Tiger Woods’ knee will apparently be fine by the time the US Open begins at Torrey Pines in June.

Tiger Woods says his left knee is “right on schedule” for recovery in time for the U.S. Open in June, if not sooner.

For all of the latest news in the world of golf, check out GolfDigest.com’s Local Knowledge blog, updated daily throughout the season. Blog

Woods underwent arthroscopic surgery on April 15. He underwent a two-week check-up earlier this week in Utah and told Golf Digest.com: “It went great. Everything is right on schedule.”

As he has in past weeks, Woods would not put a timetable on his return. The U.S. Open is June 12-15 at Torrey Pines, north of San Diego. Jack Nicklaus’ tournament, The Memorial, is two weeks earlier and is generally on Woods’ schedule.

“The doctors said I should be able to play in four to six weeks after the surgery, but there are no guarantees about anything right now,” Woods said on Golf Digest.com. “I’m just going to work hard and do what they tell me to do.”

Tiger has won at Torrey Pines so often that there really can’t be anyone else who could possibly have a chance.

When first I saw this, I had to check the date to make sure it was April 15, and not April 1. From the PGA Tour Site:

Tiger Woods underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Tuesday at Healthsouth Medical Center in Park City, Utah.

“I made the decision to deal with the pain and schedule the surgery after the Masters,” Woods said of his knee procedure.

Woods is expected to be out for between 4-6 weeks. The rehabilitation schedule could threaten his title defense at the Wachovia Championship May 1-4, as well as his appearance at THE PLAYERS Championship the following week.

The U.S. Open, which will be played at Torrey Pines, a course where Woods has won six times, is eight weeks away. Woods finished second to Trevor Immelman on Sunday at the Masters Tournament, the season’s first major championship.

“I made the decision to deal with the pain and schedule the surgery after the Masters,” Woods said on his Web site. “The upside is that I have been through this process before, and know how to handle it.

“I look forward to working through the rehabilitation process and getting back to action as quickly as I can.”

Woods won his first three starts this season—and seven of eight PGA TOUR events dating back to the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational last August. His victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard last month gave the 32-year-old a total of 64, tying him with the legendary Ben Hogan for third all-time.

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem said Woods’ presence will be missed.

Wow. I was just kidding yesterday when I wrote that Tiger might not win ANY majors this year. But lets see. He’ll have four to six weeks of rehab. The US Open is eight weeks out. He might be rusty. But then, he’ll be playing on a course that he absolutely owns. And coming of his last surgery, he won two of three.

I think he’s still got to be the favorite at Torrey Pines.