Grimacing Tiger Woods duffs three shots in a row into water while talking about his long-awaited comeback

TIGER WOODS dumped three straight shots into a water hazard while trying to hit a green just 100 yards away – putting on ice talk of an imminent comeback.

The injured 14-time Major champion is still on the sidelines following his third back surgery in 19 months at the end of last year.

Rumours of a possible return at next month’s US Open had mounted after Woods registered for the event but that now looks a long way off after he visibily grimaced while hitting wedge shots today.

Woods was taking on some amateurs when he caught heavy three little wedge shots in a mini par-3 competition on the 10th hole at Congressional Country Club in Maryland, US.

Even more embarrassing for Woods, the hacker who went before him knocked it straight onto the green at the first attempt.

Woods groaned as he took a practice swing before his first effort.

And he called the outcome before the shot even ended up in the drink, saying: “That’s in the water. Boy, was that stiff.”

After knocking his second in there he said, “All right, that’s good for me” before proceeding to clip another into a watery grave.

A defiant Woods – now ranked 524 in the world – claimed he still intends to break Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 Major wins.

But quite when the man who last claimed a big one at the 2008 US Open will return remains a mystery – even to him.

Woods, who has not played since last August, said: “I want to play. Trust me, I want to.

“The plan is to get well, and whether that’s by next week or it’s a year from now, I don’t know. My doctors don’t know, I don’t know.”