Smith, Woods endure British Open nightmare

by Admin
July 18, 2024

Golf legend Tiger Woods and Australia’s 2022 champion Cameron Smith are in danger of missing the British Open cut.

Hands on his hips, Woods looked like a commuter whose train was late.

Woods had sent his drive near the ScotRail line that runs along the 11th hole at Royal Troon. It summed up his opening round at the British Open.

The 15-time major champion’s 8-over 79 left him in danger of missing the cut for a third straight time at the Open. Smith shot 9-over.

“I didn’t do a whole lot of things right today,” Woods said. “I need to shoot something in the mid-60s tomorrow to get something going on the weekend.”

Tiger Woods reacts at the British Open. Getty

Smith – the former world No.2 who defected to LIV Golf after his 2022 Open win – was dumfounded by his own woes.

“It’s just a bad day, really. I mean, if you had told me yesterday that I was going to shoot that, I wouldn’t have said that was possible,” he said.

“But (it was) just a bit of a crappy start and didn’t really manage to hold any putts when I needed to, to kind of get back in it. It’s just a bad day and I had some bad breaks as well.”

Woods now has 14 consecutive rounds in the majors without breaking par, dating to a 69 in the second round of the 2022 PGA Championship. This was his highest score to start a major since an 80 in the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay.

His average score in the majors this year is 75.4.

A 79 was also his highest score in the opening round of a British Open. This is his 23rd appearance, dating back to 1995 at St Andrews, and he’s won it three times (2000, ‘05 and ’06).

There were flashes early, but mostly disappointment for the 48-year-old Woods and his loyal fans.

Cameron Smith of Australia prepares to play his second shot on the sixth hole. Getty

Woods got the crowd going when he curled in a 36-foot birdie putt at the par-4 third. Cue fist pumps. Hang on, though. He bogeyed the next hole and double-bogeyed the par-3 fifth — forced to play backward out of a bunker — and he was 2-over.

“I made that putt on the third hole, and then I think I had, what, three three-putts today,” he said. “I didn’t hit my irons very close, and I didn’t give myself a whole lot of looks today.”

After he bogeyed the seventh, he got a shot in the arm from supportive fans as he ascended the walkway to the infamous “ Postage Stamp ” eighth — a 123-yard par-3. He missed the green, though, and after a promising chip he two-putted for another bogey.

Four over at the turn, it got worse at the 11th. He drove the ball into the right bushes near the rail line, then teed off again with a provisional ball in case he couldn’t find the first. He did find it, incurred a penalty, took a drop and played out. It ended in another double bogey.

The next two holes went bogey-birdie and Woods closed out his round with back-to-back bogeys.

Woods, who has had four surgeries on his lower back, has failed to reach the weekend in three of his last four appearances at the British Open.

He’s played all four majors for the first time since 2019.

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

Xander Schauffele carded a 69 and had an up-close look at Woods’ performance all day playing in the same group.

“I’m sure he’d like to prep more at home if his body would allow it,” Schauffele said. “This is all stuff — I’m not sure he tells you guys this stuff or not. But as a tour pro now, I kind of know what goes into it and what needs to be done to play at a high level. If your body is not letting you do it, it’s just frustrating. I’m sure he’s trying to figure that out.”

By only playing majors, Schauffele added, Woods is “making it as hard on himself as possible, and I know he’s hard on himself too. It’s just hard. I think he’s just learning. He’s got to learn a little bit more about his body, what he can and can’t do.”

Woods, Schauffele, and Patrick Cantlay have a quick turnaround for round two.