Tiger Woods Struggles to an 8-Over 79 at The Open Championship

Tiger Woods showed glimpses of promise on Thursday at The 152nd Open Championship, but ultimately struggled to maintain his rhythm, resulting in a frustrating 8-over 79 at Royal Troon. This performance left him well outside the projected cut line heading into Friday’s second round on the Scottish coast.

“I didn’t do a lot of things right today,” Woods admitted 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 the opening round with promise, making two straight pars followed by a birdie from just off the green at the par-4 third. However, his round quickly took a downturn. Over the next five holes, Woods played in 5 over par, including a double bogey at the par-3 fifth hole. By the turn, he was 4-over 40. His back nine featured just one more birdie at the par-4 13th, but this was overshadowed by a double bogey-bogey stretch on Nos. 11 and 12, and closing bogeys on Nos. 17 and 18, culminating in an 8-over 79.

Playing alongside Xander Schauffele, who carded a 69, and Patrick Cantlay, who posted a 73, Woods found himself 14 strokes behind the leader, Daniel Brown, who opened with a 6-under 65. While Woods ranked slightly above the field average off the tee and around the green, his approach play and putting were significantly off, costing him more than two strokes to the field in each category.

This year marks the first time 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 both the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open. Now, Woods faces the possibility of missing the cut in a third consecutive major for only the second time in his illustrious career.

“I’m physically feeling a lot better than I did at the beginning of the year,” Woods noted. “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.”

Woods’ round began with a flourish, featuring a birdie at the par-4 third. However, a series of missteps followed:

Par-4 Fourth Hole: After a well-placed drive and layup, Woods tugged his approach shot, resulting in a bogey.
Par-3 Fifth Hole: His tee shot found a pot bunker, leading to a double bogey.
Par-4 Seventh and Par-3 Eighth Holes: Bogeys on both holes further derailed his round.
Par-4 11th Hole: A nearly 15-minute wait before teeing off seemed to disrupt Woods’ rhythm. His tee shot nearly went out of bounds, requiring him to take an unplayable lie. This resulted in another double bogey.
Back Nine: Woods managed a birdie at the 13th but bogeyed the 12th and closed with bogeys on the 17th and 18th holes.
Despite these setbacks, Woods remains hopeful for the future. “I just need to get something going tomorrow,” he said. “I believe I can still contend for major titles under the right conditions.”

The only other time Woods missed the cut in three consecutive majors was in 2015. His current situation has sparked discussions about his future in professional golf, particularly following comments from Colin Montgomerie suggesting it might be time for Woods to retire.

Woods responded to these remarks earlier in the week, indicating his belief that he can still compete at the highest level. However, his performance on Thursday did little to quell the skepticism.

In his 95th career major-championship appearance, Woods’ 8-over 79 at Royal Troon underscores the challenges he faces. He will need a significant turnaround on Friday to make the cut and continue into the weekend.