Tiger Woods admitted his US Open career could be over after a disappointing missed cut at Pinehurst No 2.
The three-time US Open champion needed a special exemption from the USGA to enter this year’s competition. It was the first time in his professional career that he failed to qualify for a major tournament on his own merits. 74 and 73 in North Carolina.
Woods finished the week with seven points and faces a second straight major missed cut, having also made an early exit at the PGA Championship last month after finishing last of those who managed to qualify for the weekend. end at the Masters.
The 15-time major champion has a lifetime exemption for the Masters and PGA Championship and can play the Open until he is 60, although he does not qualify automatically for now. the US Open.
Asked if this year’s US Open could be his last, Woods told reporters: “I don’t know what it is. It may or may not be.”
Woods unsure of his US Open future after missed cut in North Carolina
Woods mixed a birdie and three bogeys in his second round, seeing him finish two strokes outside the projected cut mark, with the former world number 1 disappointed with his latest performance.
“It’s one of those things where to win a golf tournament you have to qualify,” Woods said after the round. “I can’t win the tournament from where I’m at, so it’s definitely frustrating. I thought I played well enough to be in contention. It just didn’t work out.”
What went wrong for Tiger?
Woods scrambled a par at the first and holed from 12 feet to avoid dropping a shot at the par four next, then saw a 15-foot birdie at the fourth unravel when he missed from eight feet to save par on the fifth.
The 48-year-old then had a string of pars, but that ended when he twice attempted to negotiate a steep bank at the ninth and made bogey, seeing him reach the turn at 36, before crashing. settle for a par at the par-five 10th following a monster approach that ran away to the back of the green.
His putt from the sideline at the 12th drifted about 10 feet beyond the hole and resulted in another bogey, taking him to six, before watching in disbelief as birdie-putt chances on three straight holes narrowly missed target.
Woods’ hopes suffered another setback when a bogey at the par-four 16th forced him to complete a birdie-birdie, with a sensational sand save at the 17th and a closing par insufficient to allow him to qualify for the weekend.
“That was probably the highest score I could have had today,” Woods said. “I hit a lot of good shots that just didn’t go my way, or I hit some good putts and then got myself in a few bad positions with bad off-kilter putts.”
Woods was making his first appearance at the US Open since 2020
Analysis: The end for Tiger at the US Open?
Dame Laura Davies, four-time major champion: “Everything we’ve seen over the last 18 months… when he’s tried to play, he’s not competing. He hasn’t been running towards us either, but in his mind he’s not he’s not in the running and he thinks that’s where he should be. And why not?
“All the wins, all the success he’s had, and I hope this isn’t the last one. You say things after being disappointed that you might not mean, but when Tiger says something , people tend to listen.”
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Woods carded a disappointing four-over-par 74 in the first round of the US Open
Rich Beem, former PGA champion: “I would hate to believe that (this is Woods’ last US Open), just because we always think he has just a little bit left in the tank. After going through these injuries, I know it takes a toll on him. havoc, but I hope that’s not true.”
Nick Dougherty of Sky Sports: “He came to the event with the ambition of trying to compete and he was far from it. He would have hated every minute of the last two days.
Woods played alongside Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick in the first two rounds at Pinehurst No. 2
“As someone who played in the era where if you beat Tiger you usually win, I get no joy in seeing everyone beat him now. As much as I want to watch him play, I want to watch him play “If he can compete, he was so good to watch in his prime, it’s hard to let him go.”
Woods prepares for the Open
Woods said earlier this year that he intended to complete a full major schedule this season, something he hasn’t done since 2019, and he now turns his attention to the Open at Royal Troon next month.
Any appearance on the PGA Tour has already been ruled out by Woods, although completing all four majors in an injury-free calendar year would represent a step in the right direction.
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Watch the selection of the best shots from Woods’ long Open career
“I only have one more tournament this season,” Woods confirmed. “Even if I win the Open, I don’t think I’ll make the (FedExCup) playoffs. Just one more event and I’ll be back every time I come back.”
Woods was absent from last year’s contest at Hoylake and missed the cut in his two previous appearances, at Royal Portrush in 2019 and St Andrews in 2022, with the three-time champion looking to qualify for the Open for the first time times since his tied sixth at Carnoustie in 2018.
Watch Tiger Woods in action throughout the major season live on Sky Sports, including the 152nd Open at Royal Troon from July 18-21. Stream the majors and more with NOW.
