Tiger Woods needs a a second-round miracle to avoid missing successive British Open cuts for the first time after starting with a horror 78 at St Andrews.
A sad, sad shadow of his great self, Tiger Woods is facing the almost inevitable ignominy of missing successive British Open cuts for the first time in his grand career.
An ailing and ageing Woods hobbled around the Old Course in six-over-par 78 in Thursday's first round to be languishing, lamentably, in equal 148th spot in the 156-man field.
Seventeen years after joining Jack Nicklaus as the only two-time Open winner around St Andrews in more than a century, Woods chalked up five bogeys and two doubles on his self-proclaimed "favourite course" in the world.
The 15-times major champion had only three birdies on a day when Australian battler Brad Kennedy and US first-round leader Cameron Young had eight each.
Compounding Woods' woes - which began with a double bogey on the first after hitting his approach from a fairway divot into the Swilcan Burn - his dreadful round took a painstaking six hours and eight minutes to complete.
The 46-year-old - who had five three-putts - said he never recovered from his first-hole stumble.
"I compounded problems with my bad speed on the greens," Woods said.
"I hit the ball in the correct spots a couple times, left myself some good lag putts, the correct angles and I messed those up.
"And so when I had opportunities to make a few putts, I missed them ... And just never got anything going."
The American trails Young by 14 shots and will start Friday's second round six strokes outside the projected cut line.
"Looks like I'm going to have to shoot 66 tomorrow to have a chance," Woods said.
"So obviously it has been done. Guys did it today and that's my responsibility tomorrow, to go ahead and do it. Need to do it."
Woods missed the cut in his most recent Open start, at Royal Portrush in 2019, before sitting out last year's edition at Royal St George's following his devastating car crash in Los Angeles in February, 2021.
