2024-07-19 01:50:02
Maybe Colin Montgomerie was right.
Tiger Woods flashed vintage form early at Royal Troon, going one-under par after nailing a putt from off the green on the third hole.
However, his round quickly fell apart from there and he finished with an 8-over par 79.
Woods bogeyed four of the next five holes and then double bogeyed No. 11 after driving his ball into the bushes right of the fairway.
Woods did birdie No. 13 after another bogey on 12.
The 48-year-old Woods finished bogeyed the final two holes.
Woods was not alone, as many of the world’s top golfers — including Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau — struggled in the tricky cross-winds blowing around Troon.
The legendary golfer would need an impressive rally over at the end of his first round and Friday’s second round to make the cut.
The 15-time major champ is coming off missed cuts at the US Open and the PGA Championship earlier this year.
Woods did make the cut at The Masters, but went on to finish last among the golfers who did.
The British Open may be Tiger’s final tournament this year.
“I’ve only got one more tournament this season. I don’t think even if I win the British Open I’ll be in the [FedExCup] Playoffs,” Tiger told reporters after the US Open.
Woods has only posted one top-10 finish after winning the historic 2019 Masters.
Earlier this week, Montgomerie — the former world No. 2 golfer — called on Woods to retire.
“I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him,” Montgomerie told The Times of London. “There is none of that now. At Pinehurst [for the U.S. Open last month] he did not seem to enjoy a single shot and you think, ‘What the hell is he doing?’ He’s coming to Troon and he won’t enjoy it there either.”
Woods was quick to jab back saying “well, as a past [Open] champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60 [and] Colin’s not.”
Thursday featured controversy during Woods’ round as an announcer alleged the golfer was using “a lot of painkillers” to cope with his pain.
