MAJOR CHAMPION: With his hands on his waist, Tiger Woods looked like a passenger whose train is late. Woods had sent his drive close to the ScotRail line that runs along the 11th hole at Royal Troon. That summed up his opening round at the British Open. The 15-time major champion shot 8-over 79 on Thursday, leaving him in danger of missing the cut for the third consecutive time at the Open. “I didn’t do a lot right today,” he said. “I need to shoot something in the mid-60s tomorrow to have something going into the weekend.” Woods has now played 14 consecutive rounds without breaking par in majors, dating back to a 69 in the second round of the 2022 PGA Championship. It was his highest score in a major start since an 80 at the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. His average score in majors this year is 75.4. His highest score in a British Open opening round was also a 79. This is his 23rd appearance, the first at St. Andrews in 1995, and he has won it three times (2000, ’05 and ’06).
There were some highlights early, but it was mostly disappointment for the 48-year-old Woods and his loyal fans. Woods got the crowd excited when he holed a 36-foot birdie putt on the par-4 third hole. Pump fists. Wait, though. He bogeyed the next hole and double-bogeyed the par-3 fifth hole — forced to play backwards from a bunker — and was at 2 over. “I made that putt on the third hole, and then I think I had three 3-putts today,” he said. “I didn’t hit my irons close enough, and I didn’t give myself a lot of chances today.” After bogeying the seventh hole, he got a cheer from the adoring fans as he climbed the walkway on the infamous “postage stamp” eighth hole – a 123-yard par 3. He missed the green, however, and after a promising chip he two-putted for another bogey. It got even worse on the 11th, four over on the turn. He drove the ball into the right bushes near the rail line, then teed off again with a provisional ball so he could survive if he couldn’t get the first ball. He got it, incurred a penalty, took the drop and played out. It ended in another double bogey. The next two holes went bogey-birdie and Woods finished his round with back-to-back bogeys. Woods, who has had four surgeries on his lower back, has failed to reach the weekend in three of his last four appearances at the British Open. He has played all four majors for the first time since 2019.
“I feel a lot better physically 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 lot.
“I’ve gotten better as the year has gone on. I just wish I could have played a little bit more, but I save it for the majors, in case I make something big and then take myself out of it. Hopefully next year will be a little better than this year,” he added.
Xander Schauffele shot 69 and watched Woods’ performance closely throughout the day while playing in the same group.
“I’m sure he’d like to prepare more at home if his body would allow,” Schauffele said. “It’s all nonsense — I’m not sure if he tells you guys all that. But now as a tour pro, I know what it takes and what it takes to play at a high level. If your body doesn’t allow you to do that, it’s just frustrating. I’m sure he’s trying to figure it out.” By playing only majors, Schauffele said, Woods is “making it as hard as possible on himself, and I know he’s hard on himself, too. It’s just tough. I think he’s still learning. He has to learn a little bit more about his body, what he can and can’t do.” Woods, Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay have prepared quickly for the second round: They will tee off at 9:25 a.m. local time (0825 GMT) on Friday.
