Tiger Woods has announced a temporary break from professional golf after a disappointing performance at The Open. Woods, a 15-time major winner, struggled at Royal Troon, recording an 8-over 79 in the first round and finishing 14-over par on Friday. This marks the first time in a decade that Woods has missed the cut in three consecutive majors.
Woods’ performance at Royal Troon was reminiscent of his struggles in 2015 when he missed the U.S. Open, The British Open, and the PGA Championship. This year, Woods missed the cut at the Masters, the U.S. Open, and now The Open.
Following Friday’s round, the 48-year-old confirmed his plans to focus on improving his game, with no plans to compete again until December. “I’m not going to play until then,” Woods told reporters. “I’m just going to keep on getting physically better and keep working on it and then hopefully come back for our fifth major.”
Despite his recent struggles, Woods remains optimistic about his physical condition and future prospects. “I’m physically feeling better than I did at the beginning of the year. At the end of last year, it was tough, and I haven’t played a lot. As the year has gone on, I have got better. I just wish I could have played more, 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 better. I need to do a lot more work in the gym and keep progressing.”
Woods’ performance on Friday started with a par on the first hole, but a double bogey on the second hole set the tone for a challenging round. He carded additional bogeys on the 5th, 9th, 12th, 14th, and 17th holes, finishing 6-over for the day and tied for 149th place, just four places from last.
Reflecting on his experience, Woods said, “I’ve won two Open Championships here in Scotland, so I’ve always enjoyed playing up here. I’ve enjoyed the different types of links that Scotland brings and the challenges. I’ve missed playing Troon. It’s been a long time. I remember playing here way back in ’97. I’ve had some good memories here. I just wish I’d done a little bit better.”
As Woods steps away from competitive golf to focus on his physical fitness and game, fans and fellow players alike will be eagerly awaiting his return to the course.
