BY BRENDAN JAMES

Tiger Woods played injured in the second round to miss the cut at the PGA Championship, which raises more questions about his future.

Woods shot a second straight 74 to finish six over at Valhalla and miss the cut for just the fourth time in his career on the PGA Tour. When Woods won the PGA Championship at Valhalla in 2000 he had 18 under for the four rounds and went on to beat Bob May in a play-off.

Tiger Woods rubs his back before hitting his second shot on the 17th hole in the second round. PHOTO: Getty Images Tiger Woods rubs his back before hitting his second shot on the 17th hole in the second round. PHOTO: Getty Images

His performance at Valhalla this week proves he is a long way from winning another tournament, let alone a major.

"That was tough. I hit a lot of shots out there, 74 of them. It was a long day," he said.

Woods said he felt pain in his back on the range before his round but stubbornly decided to play on.

"It was sore. No doubt it was sore," he said. "It went out on me on the range, but I just had to play through it."

The former World No. 1 and a four-time winner of the PGA Championship struggled right from the start in a soggy second round, making two bogeys and one double bogey through his first nine holes.

He didn't make a birdie until the 15th hole and added another at the 18th but his fate in this championship was already sealed by then.

The former World No.1 said he didn’t regret playing because the back spasms he is currently experiencing has nothing to do with the area of the back he had surgery on earlier this year.

“It's not where the surgery was,” he said. “It's a different area. When I fell out of that bunker last week, it's the same feeling, the same pain and same spasms.”

Asked whether he needed to take a long break from the game, Woods said: “Well, I need to get stronger.

“I need to get my glutes strong again, my abs and my core back to where I used to have them,” he said. “They are just not quite there yet. Obviously by playing, you can't burn the candle at both ends. I need to get stronger physically and be back to where I was.”

"Frustrating", was how Woods described his season thus far. PHOTO: Getty Images

Woods said his body was telling him not play the second round but he tried to play through he pain but at times it was difficult.

“I couldn't make a backswing,” he admitted. “I can't get the club back. Coming through is fine.  I can't get the club back and that throws everything off.

“I can't get anywhere near the positions that I'm accustomed to getting to or any of it.  I can't do it.  I've got to rely on timing, hands and hopefully I can time it just right.

“But it's hard because you want the bigger muscles controlling the golf swing. I have got to rely on my hands to do it and the face is rotating so fast through impact because I'm just not able to get my arms and the body in the correct spot.”

It is unlikely Woods will even be considered for the US Ryder Cup team now. US Captain Tom Watson, who said earlier this year he would pick Woods if he was fit, has not spoken with Tiger.