Tiger Woods will miss the Open cut for only the second time in his career unless he can claw back five shots in seven holes. It will require something remarkable for Woods to remain here through the weekend, the former champion toiling once again as his forgettable return to St Andrews continued.
So often the optimist in recent times, Woods will struggle to find many positives about the 29 holes he has played on these links so far. More is the pity for the gathering throngs who stayed long into the evening in hope, rather than expectation, that he could turn things around.
They cheered his name fervently as always on the 1st and, although the mood did dip as the black clouds rolled in, there remained a steady following alongside him throughout. Perhaps that had something to do with the form of his playing partners, Jason Day and Louis Oosthuizen, who were making Woods’ travails appear even more incongruous. Both made inroads on the leaderboard and resume on Saturday morning knowing they will remain in situ for the duration of this tournament.
For Tiger, though, it looks to be a first missed cut at the Open Championship since Turnberry in 2009 and only the second time he has fallen at the halfway point since his competition debut back in 1995. After suffering the same fate at Chambers Bay in the US Open the promising signs of recovery on display at Augusta in the spring seem a distant memory.
Woods rarely gave himself a chance of reducing the required deficit during the 11 and three-quarter holes of his second round. There was to be no watery ignominy on the opening hole, at least, but in reality there were few highlights as he scrapped and fought his way through the wind and bad light.
Given that the projected cut is even par and Woods is five over, he could be out of town come midday.
His uncompleted round included two bogeys and one birdie. The closest he came to a birdie on the opening nine was at the turn, rolling a fine 30ft putt to within an inch of the hole. It did not drop, and Woods’ face told the story. Other than that birdie opportunity there was, in truth, very little to improve the 14-times major champion’s spirits during the opening nine holes. He was out in 38, having hit only 38% of the fairways during a stretch that included bogeys on the 4th and the 6th.
On the 2nd he missed the green to the left, having initially gone right from the tee, but did well to get up and down for par. On the 3rd he outhit both Day and Oosthuizen yet his chip – just in front of the pothole bunkers down the right – failed to get over a hollow guarding the green. It was to be another par but his first dropped shot was soon to come. This time it was the putter that faltered, having left an initial effort from 50 feet still 15 feet short. The par putt evaded the cup.
There was, however, to be some solace on the 10th with an impressive birdie. The 386-yard par four is named after Bobby Jones and Woods – who stands alongside the former great in the golfing pantheon – restored a glimmer of confidence there at least.
Then, at the par-three 11th, his iron to 25 feet from the hole received a rousing reception but his birdie effort stopped short and left.
Of Thursday’s opening 76 – Woods’ worst ever first-round total at the Open, he had said: “I made some good clutch putts. I just needed to put those balls in position for birdies instead of for pars.” Yet it was to be a similar story on Friday.
Woods played long into the evening on the Old Course in what will surely be one of the more memorable Open experiences he has endured, as will his resumption at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning.
Sadly it is for all the wrong reasons.
