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Tiger Misses Cut at The Open, Cites Lack of Consistency
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – Tiger Woods’ major campaign this season began with an incredible high, one of the biggest moments in his legendary career. But since then, it’s been mostly frustration and free weekends, with Woods facing the cruel realities of an older golfer struggling for consistency.
Woods shot a 1-under 70 in Friday’s second round of The Open Championship, but his 6-over total for the first two days at Royal Portrush left him well outside the cutline. It’s his second missed cut in the three majors since winning the Masters in April, and the seventh missed cut in his last 13 major starts dating back to the 2014 PGA Championship. Prior to that, he had missed the cut just three times in his first 61 major starts as a pro.
That was then. This is now. The new normal for Woods? He still has the game to compete; after all, he’s won twice in the last 12 months, including the 2018 TOUR Championship. But at age 43 and after four back surgeries, he no longer can contend on a weekly basis.
“One of the hardest things to accept as an older athlete is that you’re not going to be as consistent as you were at 23,” Woods said. “Things are different.
The Open Morning Headlines: Spieth Making a Move
If you’re just waking up, here’s what you may have missed from Day 2 of The Open Championship. First-round leader J.B. Holmes is on the course, but several big names are nipping at his heels, including Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Tommy Fleetwood.
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – The second round of The Open Championship started under sunny skies and perfect scoring conditions. How nice was the weather? Erik Van Rooyen was sporting bare ankles, and the television broadcast showed people swimming in the ocean.
Holmes, who finished a distant third behind Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson in the 2016 Open at Royal Troon, made two birdies on his first five holes to maintain the solo lead.
SPIETH’S SURGE: The biggest charge was being made by Spieth, whose last win came at the 2017 Open. He played his first eight holes in 5 under, including an eagle on the par-5 seventh hole. He holed putts of about 25 feet on 7 and 8 to reach 6 under for the tournament. Perhaps it’s a good sign that he compared Royal Portrush to the site of his Open triumph, Royal Birkdale.
“I think it's played more from the air,” Spieth said. “But it's still very, very links. Birkdale was played from the air. You could only bounce it up on maybe half the holes, which is pretty similar to around here, with all the fall-offs and false fronts.”
ENGLISH CHALLENGE: The Open’s two visits to Royal Portrush represent the only times that the event has been played outside Scotland and England. The English players are still feeling right at home. Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Lee Westwood are all on the golf course this morning and on the first page of the leaderboard. Hatton was 5 under after shooting 34 on his front nine. Fleetwood was one shot behind him after a front-nine 35. Rose and Westwood are early in their rounds.
KOEPKA ON THE COURSE: Brooks Koepka also teed off early Friday. He shot 68 in the first round but was unable to make an early move in Friday’s pristine conditions. He shot even-par on his first nine Thursday. He’s still in contention for another major championship.
TIGER MAKES BIRDIE: Tiger Woods is playing for little more than pride on Friday after shooting 78. He did birdie his first hole, though, after struggling physically in the first round.
Record Crowds Expected at British Open Golf Tournament
McIlroy Struggles to 8-over 79 at The Open
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – Rory McIlroy’s return to Royal Portrush couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start.
McIlroy hit his opening tee shot out-of-bounds and made an 8 on the first hole. That matched the highest single-hole score of his PGA TOUR career. It was just the fourth quad he’s made in more than 10,000 holes played on the PGA TOUR (he’s never made worse than a quadruple-bogey, either), and his second in a major.
It couldn’t have come at a worse time. Anticipation has been high for The Open’s return to Northern Ireland after an absence that lasted nearly seven decades. And anticipation was high for McIlroy, who not only set the course record when he was 16 but was enjoying one of the best seasons of his career.
McIlroy shot 61 at Royal Portrush when he was 16. On Thursday, he took his 61st stroke on the 15th hole.
He also triple-bogeyed the final hole and signed for a 79. McIlroy had finished in the top 5 in his last four Open Championships, including a victory in 2014.
Tough Day for Tiger in Round 1 at The Open
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – When Tiger Woods made his lone birdie of the day with a lengthy putt at the par-4 15th, he raised both arms in mock celebration. It was that kind of day, one with plenty of frustration and very little to smile about at Royal Portrush.
Woods, the reigning Masters champ making his first start in a month, opened with a 7-over 78 -- his highest opening round in 21 starts in The Open Championship.
Playing in heavy rains at times and increasingly chilly weather, Woods struggled to convert putts and stay out of trouble. At one stretch in the middle of his round, he bogeyed five of six holes.
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