Tiger Woods planning short break from golf after injury

A dejected Tiger Woods is planning to take another short break from golf after a intensive physiotherapy session to loosen up his back failed to save him from an early exit at Royal Portrush.

The 43-year-old has been playing through the pain all week and is understood to have had a 45 minute treatment on Thursday night after admitting he was particularly "sore" during his troubled seven-over-par during the opening round.

On Friday he was grimacing in pain again as he managed to get around in 70, leaving him six-over and on the next plane home.  

"I'm going to take a couple of weeks off and get ready for the play-offs," he said afterwards.

Woods denied his back problems were anything like as bad as they were prior to surgery, but the sport's one true megastar suggested he was almost relieved that he would not be playing on Saturday.