Tiger Woods misses cut at Open Championship: ‘I fought hard’

Tiger Woods walked up to the 18th green knowing that he had not done enough to play the weekend and attempt to win his third Open Championship at St. Andrews. 

Woods missed the cut Friday, shooting a second-round 3-over, 75 to finish the tournament at +9 over par. 

The Open Championship was the third major of the year for Woods, who skipped the U.S. Open in June in order to prepare his body for the British Open. Woods said after the round that the ovation he received from the crowd on the 18th green “got to me.”

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“It’s special. The R&A set it up with some pretty tricky pins,” Woods said after the round. “Some new ones and made it a little more difficult, and obviously a lot more difficult on me than the others. Again, anytime you get the chance to come back and play the Old Course, in The Open, it’s special. It really is.

“I’ve been lucky enough to be doing this since 1995, and I don’t know if I’ll be physically able to play another British Open here at St. Andrews. I certainly feel like I’ll be able to play more British Opens, but don’t know if I’ll be around when it comes back around here. The warmth and the ovation on 18 … it got to me.”

Woods struggled mightily on day one of the tournament, shooting a disappointing 78 in the first round. The day got off to a terrible start, with Woods ending up in the water on the first hole and carding a double bogey. 

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On Friday, Woods was able to play better, but nowhere near the golf he needed in order to continue over the weekend. 

“I’m a little ticked I’m not playing on the weekend because I certainly did not play good enough to be around,” Woods said. “I wish I would have played better. I wish I would have had a little bit better break at the first hole yesterday and maybe started off a little bit better. But that’s just kind of how it all went from there. It just never really materialized.

“I fought hard and, unfortunately, I just could never turn it around. I struggled with the green speeds again today. I could never hit putts hard enough, I was leaving them short again. So, consequently, I didn’t make enough birdies.”

Cameron Smith is currently in the lead through 12 holes, sitting at 11-under par.