Tiger Woods: 'Too soon' to talk return

— -- BETHESDA, Md. -- Seven weeks after undergoing surgery to alleviate a pinched nerve in his back, Tiger Woods still isn't hitting full shots and remains uncertain when he will be able to return to competitive golf.

That would appear to rule out next month's U.S. Open, which starts June 12 at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina.

"It's a little too soon," Woods said about hitting full shots during an interview Monday with Golf Channel. "At least I'm chipping and putting, so that's nice -- and that's progressing."

On the day he was passed by Adam Scott for the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking, Woods made his first public appearance since the March 31 surgery Monday at Congressional Country Club, where the Quicken Loans National will be played starting June 26. The tournament benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Little appears to have changed since two weeks ago, when Woods wrote on his website that his rehab was "a slow process." On Friday at a private clinic in Las Vegas, he said again that he hopes to return this summer but that he is in "no rush."

"It's not a lot of fun," he said. "There are a lot of tedious exercises. Back injuries are no joke. It is slow, and I just have to make sure I do it right."

But as several big tournaments approach, his ability to compete appears less likely. The U.S. Open at Pinehurst is just 24 days away. The Quicken Loans National is just two weeks later, and it would be a blow to him and his foundation were he to miss the tournament.

Quicken Loans is a new title sponsor of the eight-year-old event, one of three on the PGA Tour where proceeds are donated to his foundation. Woods missed the tournament last year with an elbow injury.

Woods has not played since the final round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship on March 9. A day after shooting 66 to get into contention, Woods was clearly in distress during a birdie-less round of 78. It was just his fourth tournament of the year and 25th place turned out to be his best finish.

He subsequently skipped his title defense at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and then a week later withdrew from the Masters, missing that major championship for the first time in his career.

Injuries have kept Woods out of five majors since he won his 14th in 2008 at the U.S. Open. Knee surgery following that victory led to an eight-month layoff and caused him to miss the Open and PGA championships.

In 2011, Woods missed the U.S. Open and Open Championship due to knee and Achilles injuries that kept him out for four months. Upon returning late in the 2011 season, Woods dropped as low as 58th in the world.

But he climbed back to the top. His victory at the 2011 Chevron World Challenge -- the end-of-the-year unofficial event that also benefits his foundation -- was his first anywhere in more than two years, and came with much-needed ranking points.

He then won three times in 2012 -- had finished third at the Open Championship -- followed by five more victories last year, including wins at the Players Championship and two World Golf Championship events. His victory at WGC-Cadillac moved him to No. 1 in the world. He finally fell from that spot on Monday, with Scott moving ahead of him while Woods' immediate future is in doubt.

Woods had been No. 1 for 60 weeks and a total of 683 in his career.