The Open: Tiger Woods nearing another major missed cut after opening-round 79 at Royal Troon
The Open: Tiger Woods nearing another major missed cut after opening-round 79 at Royal Troon
Tiger Woods carded a eight-over 79 during the opening round of The 152nd Open; Woods is 14 strokes behind early leader Daniel Brown; Can he make the cut? Watch the second round live on Friday from 6.30am on Sky Sports Golf or stream on NOW
Tiger Woods is in danger of a third consecutive missed cut at a major after admitting he ‘didn’t do a whole lot right’ during an opening round to forget in The 152nd Open.
Woods arrived at Royal Troon having struggled again in the majors this season, finishing last of those who made the cut at The Masters before making early exits at both the PGA Championship and US Open.
The 15-time major champion said ahead of the final men’s major of the year that he would continue to “play as long as I can play and feel like I can still win”, although showed little signs of contending during a eight-over 79 on a breezy Thursday afternoon.
Woods mixed two birdies with six bogeys and two double-bogeys on the opening day, leaving himself 14 strokes behind early leader Daniel Brown and leaving him with an uphill task to make his first cut at The Open since 2018.
“I didn’t do a whole lot of things right today,” Woods said. “I made that putt on the third hole and then I think I had three three-putts today.
“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 threatens another early exit
Playing alongside Patrick Cantlay and reigning PGA champion Xander Schauffele, Woods opened with two-putt pars over the first two holes before draining a 35-footer from off the third green to move into red figures.
A long-range three-putt bogey at the par-five fourth was followed by a double-bogey at the par-three next, with back-to-back blemishes from the seventh seeing Woods limp to the turn in 40.
Woods had to take a drop after a wayward drive into the bushes at the par-four 11th, resulting in another double-bogey six, although he cancelled out a bogey at the 12th by holing from seven feet to birdie the par-four next.
A poor tee shot at the par-three 17th left him converting from six feet to leave the hole with just a bogey, before Woods – who received a standing ovation as he walked to the final green – signed off another day to forget by three-putting from the back fringe at the par-four last.
