COLUMBUS, Ohio - World number one Tiger Woods will skip next week's 33rd Memorial Tournament, a key US Open tuneup that the 13-time major golf champion had hoped to play after recovering from knee surgery.

Woods' name was not on the official 120-player entry list released by the US PGA Tour here Friday ahead of next week's six million-dollar event, hosted by golf legend Jack Nicklaus, whose 18 career majors Woods is trying to surpass.

Three-time Memorial champion Woods has not played since finishing second to South African Trevor Immelman at last month's Masters.

He underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery April 15, his third operation on the joint.

Woods, who won four events in a row to open the year, had said earlier this month that rehabilitation was progressing well and he hoped to play here at Muirfield Village Golf Club ahead of the US Open on June 12-15 at Torrey Pines.

The only other time Woods missed the Memorial since turning professional 12 years ago was in 2006 following the death of his father.

Woods has won six times at Torrey Pines as a professional, including an eight-stroke romp in a PGA event earlier this season.

Woods has committed to play June 26-29 at the Buick Open near Detroit and conduct a clinic in a baseball stadium that week. - AFP/vm