Tiger Woods has plummeted to 12th on the latest world golf rankings, dropping out of the top 10 for the first time since 1997.
The former world No 1 has not won a tournament since the Australian Masters in 2009 and has been steadily losing ranking points because of his recent struggles on and off the course.
It has been almost three years since he won the last of his 14 major titles, and the prospect of adding any more in the near future seems unlikely after he withdrew from the Players Championship in May because of injury, Reuters reports.
Woods has already had four surgeries on his troublesome left knee and the latest injury setback comes ahead of the second major of the year, the US Open in June.
The 35-year-old repeatedly said he would quit the game whenever he felt he was unable to compete at the highest level.
His private life unravelled in sensational fashion at the end of 2009 and he tried to repair his crumbling marriage after a series of extra-marital affairs.
Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren divorced in August last year.
