Tiger Woods struggles to opening-round 79 at The Open Championship

Tiger Woods showed glimpes of promise Thursday at The 152nd Open Championship, but he failed to maintain a rhythm in any facet. The result was a frustrating 8-over 79 at Royal Troon, well outside the projected cut line into Friday’s second round on the Scottish coast.”I didn’t do a lot of things right today,” Woods said afterward. “I didn’t hit my irons very close, and I didn’t give myself a whole lot of looks today. I need to shoot something in the mid-60s tomorrow to get something going on the weekend.”Woods, 48, began Thursday’s opening round with a flourish, making two straight pars followed by a birdie from just off the green at the par-4 third, punctuated with a subtle yet hearty fist pump. He was in red numbers on a breezy Thursday and poised for an ascent toward the top of the leaderboard. Or so it seemed. The three-time Open champion played his next five holes in 5 over, including a double bogey at the par-3 fifth that included a pitch-out sideways from a pot bunker, and he turned in 4-over 40. His back nine featured just one more birdie (the par-4 13th), which came after a double bogey-bogey stretch on Nos. 11 and 12. Woods closed with consecutive bogeys on Nos. 17 and 18 for an 8-over 79, playing alongside Xander Schauffele (69) and Patrick Cantlay (73) at Royal Troon.Daniel Brown opened in 6-under 65 on Thursday afternoon, putting Woods a distant 14 strokes off the lead. Woods ranked slightly above field average Thursday off the tee and around the green, but he lost more than two strokes to the field in both approach play and putting, ranking near the bottom of the field in both categories.This marks the first year in which Woods has competed in all four majors since suffering severe injuries to both legs in a 2021 car crash. He made the cut at the Masters, finishing 60th, but missed the cut at the PGA Championship at Valhalla and U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. The 15-time major champion will likely need something in the 60s on Friday to earn weekend tee times in his 95th career major-championship appearance.Woods admits that his physical condition isn’t what it once was, but he strongly believes that he can still contend for major titles under the right conditions. After an uneven Thursday at Royal Troon, contention will likely have to wait another year. He’ll look to ascend inside the cut line Friday on the Scottish coast, where he played his first Open as a pro in 1997 (finishing T24) and also competed in 2004 (finishing T9). The top 70 and ties will make the 36-hole cut at The Open.”I’m physically feeling a lot better than I did at the beginning of the year,” Woods said. “At the end of last year, it was tough, and I haven’t played a whole lot. I think that, as the year has gone on, I have gotten better. I just wish I could have played a little bit more, but I’ve been saving it for the majors just in case I do something pretty major and then take myself out of it. Hopefully next year will be a little bit better than this year.”Read below for updates on how Woods’ opening round unfolded at The 152nd Open Championship.2:50 p.m. ET: Woods’ finish is the epitome of his day. After a well-placed drive down the middle at the par-4 18th, his 172-yard approach releases just over the back of the green, leaving a slippery 35-footer from the back fringe. His birdie attempt slides past to leave a 6-footer for par, which he misses on the right side, a theme of the day. Woods taps in for bogey and a disheartening round of 8-over 79. He’ll need something special Friday morning in order to play the weekend at Royal Troon.2:30 p.m. ET: It’s more misfortune for Woods at the long par-3 17th hole, as his tee shot releases down the green’s left side and funnels off into the second cut of rough. He’s unable to do much with his pitch shot, as the ball checks up 37 feet short of the hole, and his par putt rolls on a good line but has too much pace; it hits the hole, pops up and races 6 feet past. Woods composes himself to convert the bogey putt, but he falls to 7 over for the day with one hole remaining.2:20 p.m. ET: It’s an adventurous par-5 16th hole for Woods, but he comes away with a scrambling par.Woods flushes his tee shot down the middle, leaving a 277-yard second shot where he can give the green a go, but he pushes it well right to leave a gnarly third shot from thick rough. He can’t advance it to the green, and the ball kicks into a pot bunker. The 82-time TOUR winner, though, displays his generational short-game prowess with a smooth up-and-down, as he blasts to 4 feet and converts for par. He remains 6 over for the day with two holes to play.1:55 p.m. ET: Woods is precise with a tee shot down the middle at the par-4 15th, and he plays a safe 157-yard approach to the green’s left side, leaving a 28-foot birdie try. His birdie putt moves across the hole and misses on the left side; he cleans up his par from 4 feet past. Woods remains 6 over through 15 holes Thursday at Royal Troon.1:40 p.m. ET: His playing partners Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay miss the green at the long par-3 14th and make bogey, while Woods plays a proper iron to the green’s right side and two-putts for par from 34 feet. Woods remains at 6 over with four holes to play in the opening round. Several variables will change regarding Friday’s eventual cut line (top 70 and ties), but Data Golf currently projects 5 over as the likeliest cut line (35.5%), with 6 over the next likeliest (31.6%).1:24 p.m. ET: Woods has a bright moment at the par-4 13th, as he smokes a drive 330 yards down the fairway’s left side to leave an inviting approach from 133 yards. He takes advantage with a crisp short iron to 7 feet, and he converts the birdie putt for his second circle of the day. He returns to 6 over through 13 holes, with visions of more birdies down the stretch to claw back a bit.1:10 p.m. ET: Woods is properly positioned off the tee at the par-4 12th, but he tugs his second shot into dense rough left of the green. His pitch shot settles 24 feet short of the hole, and his par putt is on line but lips out hard on the left side. He makes bogey, falling to 7 over through 12 holes. The 15-time major winner drifts further from the projected cut line and might need to scrap just to break 80 on this Thursday.12:55 p.m. ET: After a lengthy wait at the nasty par-4 11th, known for the railway line that parallels the hole, Woods pushes his shot into a thick bush right of the fairway, requiring him to take an unplayable lie. He drops and plays his third shot to 37 yards short of the hole, in the fairway, but he can’t get up-and-down as he misses a 12-foot bogey try on the right side. Pushed putts are becoming a troubling theme for Woods on this Thursday, and the ball striking hasn’t been strong enough to compensate. He falls to 6 over through 11 holes.It’s a tough day for all at Royal Troon, but Woods’ showing so far is less than desirable.12:20 p.m. ET: Woods makes an easy par at the par-4 10th, smoking a drive to nearly the end of the fairway and playing a safe 133-yard approach to 25 feet. His birdie attempt tracks toward the hole but stops just a few rotations short of the cup. He taps in for par, a satisfactory start to his second nine. He remains 4 over for the day.12:05 p.m. ET: Woods stops the bleeding at the mid-length par-4 ninth, playing a safe approach to just short of the green and getting up-and-down from 24 yards by converting a 4-footer for par.It’s a 4-over 40 for Woods on the opening nine at Royal Troon, not an ideal result after a promising start at 1 under through three. He turns to the second nine at Royal Troon’s out-and-back design, looking to crawl a bit closer to level par and to clubhouse leader Justin Thomas (3-under 68).11:48 a.m. ET: Woods’ front nine is slowly descending from bad to worse, as his tee shot at the famed “Postage Stamp” short par-3 eighth careens off a slope just off the green’s right side and kicks into thick rough. He has no choice but to play his second shot well right of the hole to avoid pot bunkers; it funnels off a slope to leave a closer par putt from 14 feet, but it misses on the right side. Woods is now 4 over through eight holes at Royal Troon, a distant seven strokes back of leader Justin Thomas. It’s way too early to think about the cut line, but Woods is not trending in the correct direction at the moment.11:35 a.m. ET: Things are getting bleak fast for Woods, who has a reasonable 15-foot birdie try from just off the par-4 seventh green’s left side but races it 6 feet by. He can’t convert the par putt; it’s another bogey for the three-time Open champion. He’s now 3 over for the day, and he has played his last four holes in 4 over. It’s a summer day on the Scottish coast, but it could easily be confused for a rainy fall afternoon, and Woods’ score is aligned with that gloomy vibe.11:20 a.m. ET: Woods gets back on track at the par-5 sixth, playing three smart shots to leave a mid-range birdie try. He can’t convert but makes a routine par to stay at 2 over for the day.10:55 a.m. ET: Woods slightly tugs a long iron at the long par-3 fifth, but it catches a nasty pot bunker that requires him to chip out sideways. His third shot is no picnic either, requiring a flop shot back over the bunker that he does well to stop 10 feet past the hole. The bogey putt narrowly misses on the right edge, and it’s a discouraging double bogey for Woods. He falls to 2 over through five holes. A promising start has turned sour in the blink of an eye.10:43 a.m. ET: Woods’ first miscue of the day comes at the par-5 fourth hole, and it comes despite a well-placed driver down the middle and a proper layup to leave a 125-yard approach for his third. He tugs that approach to the green’s left side, leaving a cross-country 62-footer for birdie which he races 8 feet by. His par putt burns the edge, and it’s a bogey on Royal Troon’s second easiest hole of the day, a frustrating square on the scorecard. Woods is back to even par through four holes.10:21 a.m. ET: Woods is a tactician, splitting the fairway on the short par-4 third hole with a fairway metal, leaving 149 yards to the hole. He plays an aggressive second shot toward the middle-left hole location, but it settles in the fairway just beyond the green, leaving a 35-foot birdie effort.It’s vintage Woods from there, as he delivers an early highlight-reel moment at Royal Troon. He selects putter from the fringe and starts the ball well right of the hole; it breaks perfectly down the slope and drops into the cup. Birdie for Woods, who delivers a subtle yet hearty fist pump. He’s in red figures, 1 under through three holes. Game on.10:10 a.m. ET: Woods tugs his tee shot into thick rough left of the fairway at the short par-4 second, but he plays a sublime second shot from 177 yards that narrowly carries a front greenside bunker and safely settles 60 feet left of the hole. He two-putts for his second straight par to begin the opening round at Royal Troon.9:51 a.m. ET: Tiger Woods is underway at The 152nd Open, sporting a black cap, grey sweater and black neck warmer in his Sun Day Red branding. He selects fairway metal off the tee at the par-4 first and finds the first cut of rough just off the fairway’s right side, leaving 166 yards to the hole. He plays a smart iron to the green’s front portion and two-putts for par, a fine start to this tricky Thursday at Royal Troon.