Tiger Woods fails to qualify for third straight tournament; vows this is not the end of the Open

CNN
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Tiger Wood He left early from Open ChampionshipBut the American golfer has vowed to return for the 2025 tournament.

The 48-year-old improved his second-round 77 at Royal Troon in Scotland on Friday after opening with a 79, but left him just 14 strokes off the expected cut-off for a top 70 overall.

The number equals the highest score by a three-time major champion in a 36-hole career, according to Golf Stats. Justin Rayat the 2015 US Open – the only previous season in which he had failed in three consecutive rounds in the sport’s four major events.

“I was fighting pretty much all day,” said Woods, who finished 60th. Masters in April Before failing to qualify for the weekend’s PGA Championship and U.S. Open, he told reporters.

“I could never hit the ball close enough to score, so I made a lot of mistakes.”

After Woods ended the match with a penalty stroke, he received a standing ovation from the crowd that had gathered behind the ropes to catch a last glimpse of him at Royal Troon, but the 15-time major winner insisted this would not be his last Open Championship.

Woods, who automatically qualified for the tournament thanks to his wins in 2000, 2005 and 2006, said he would “definitely be back” for next year’s 153rd major at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, in what would be his 24th appearance at the event.

The 82-time PGA Tour winner arrived at Royal Troon determined he would play as long as he felt he could still win, He has rejected former world number two Colin Montgomerie’s suggestion that he should consider retirement..

This season marks the first since his car accident in 2021 that Woods has competed in all four major tournaments. In February, he was He expressed his desire to compete in one tournament per month. But – despite “feeling much better physically” than at the start of the year – he has only competed in five official events in 2024.

“I loved it. I’ve always loved playing in the big tournaments. I just hope I can be fitter when I play in the big tournaments,” he said on Friday.

“Obviously this tests you mentally, physically, and emotionally, and I wasn’t smart enough. I was hoping I would find that somehow, but it never happened.

“As a result, my scores and my results have been very high,” added Woods, who posted just the sixth round of his career with eight or worse on Thursday.

Play partner and May PGA Championship Winner Xander Schauffele, who followed up his tournament opener with a 69-under-par 72 on Thursday, said he sympathized with Woods’ struggle to improve.

“He makes it as hard on himself as possible, and I know he’s hard on himself, too,” Schauffele told reporters.

“He has to learn more about his body, what he can do and what he can’t do. I’m sure he would like to prepare more at home if his body allows it… I know what it takes and what you have to do to play at a high level. If your body doesn’t allow you to do that, it’s very frustrating.”