WASHINGTON, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Tiger Woods decided to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament for the first time on Friday.

    Woods had until Friday to enter next week's Memorial, and tournament officials held out hope until the final minute, according to repors from Jacksonville, Florida.

    The Memorial has always counted on having two of the biggest names in golf - Woods, a three-time winner at Muirfield Village, and tournament host Jack Nicklaus for the last 10 years,

    Nicklaus did not enter for the first time since the tournament began 30 years ago. He said last year he was ending his competitive career in the British Open at St. Andrews, where he missed the cut.

    The Memorial still has a strong field, with seven of the top 10players from the world ranking, minus only Woods, David Toms and Luke Donald. The headliner shifts from Woods to Masters champion Phil Mickelson, playing in the Memorial for the first time since 2002.

    Woods has not played since he tied for third at the U.S. Masters on April 9. His father, Earl, died on May 3 in California,and Woods already has missed two tournaments he typically plays - the Wachovia Championship and Byron Nelson Championship. Endnitem