Tiger Woods’ British Open implosion has him staring down a harsh reality

 

TROON, Scotland — The legendary Tiger Woods, at 48, finds himself in a precarious position, seemingly on the verge of missing his third consecutive cut in a major championship. His performance in the first round of the British Open at Royal Troon, the very site where he debuted as a professional in 1997, was nothing short of a struggle, culminating in an 8-over-par 79.

 

This year, Woods has only participated in five PGA Tour events, with this British Open possibly marking the end of his tournament play until December. He is expected to return at the Hero World Challenge, an event he hosts in the Bahamas. His season has been marred by setbacks, including his withdrawal from the Genesis Invitational in February due to illness during the second round, and finishing last among the 60 players who made the cut at the Masters. The U.S. Open saw him missing the cut entirely, a trend that seems perilously close to repeating here at Royal Troon.

 

Thursday’s round began with promise, as Woods birdied the third hole, bringing him to 1-under par. However, his fortunes quickly turned. A bogey on the fourth, a double bogey on the fifth, and subsequent bogeys on the seventh and eighth holes led to a front-nine score of 40. The back nine offered little respite. A disastrous tee shot on the 11th hole sent his ball into the railroad tracks, resulting in a double bogey, which was soon followed by another bogey on the 12th, plunging him to 7-over.

 

A glimmer of hope appeared with a birdie on the 13th, pulling him back to 6-over, but this was overshadowed by bogeys on the 17th and 18th holes, including a missed seven-foot par putt on the 18th.

 

Reflecting on his round, Woods admitted, “I didn’t do a whole lot of things right today. I made that (birdie) putt on the third hole, and then I think I had three 3-putts today. I didn’t hit my irons very close, and I didn’t give myself a whole lot of looks.”

 

Facing an uphill battle, Woods acknowledged the challenge ahead, stating, “I need to shoot something in the mid-60s tomorrow to get something going on the weekend.”

 

When asked about his ability to play more frequently to sharpen his skills, Woods remarked, “Yeah, I’m physically feeling a lot better than I did at the beginning of the year. At the end of last year, it was tough, and I haven’t played a whole lot. 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.”

 

As Woods faces the daunting task of significantly improving his score in Friday’s second round, the golf world watches with bated breath. Will this be yet another chapter in his storied career, or is it a sign of a closing curtain on one of golf’s greatest legends?