Tiger Woods admits his US Open career could be over after a disappointing failure at Pinehurst No 2.
The three-time US Open champion needed a special exemption from the USGA to play in this year’s event, the first time in his professional career that he failed to qualify for a major on his own merits, and he then struggled to rounds of 74 and 73 in North Carolina.
Woods ended the week in seven over and facing the second major success missed the cut, having also exited early in the PGA Championship last month after finishing last of those who made it through to the weekend at The Masters.
The 15-time major champion has lifetime exemptions to The Masters and the PGA Championship and can play in The Open until age 60, although he is currently not automatically qualified for the US Open.
When asked if this year’s US Open could be his last, Woods told reporters: “I don’t know what it is. It might not be.”
Woods is uncertain about his US Open future after missing out on North Carolina
Woods mixed one birdie and three bogeys in the second round, seeing him finish two shots outside the projected cut mark, with the former world No.1 disappointed with his latest performance.
“That’s one thing to win a golf tournament, you have to make the cut,” 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 get up there in contention. It just didn’t work out.”
Is it wrong for Tiger?
Woods scrambled for par at the first and holed from 12 feet to stick a shot at the next par-four, then saw a 15-foot birdie at the fourth undone when he missed from eight feet to save par at the fifth.
The 48-year-old ran from the pars after that, but it ended when he took two attempts to negotiate a steep bank on the ninth and made a bogey, seeing him reach the turn on 36, before settling for par on the par-five 10th after a monster approach run from the back. green.
The putt from the edge in the 12th drifted some 10 feet through the hole and resulted in another bogey, taking him to six over, before he looked in disbelief as the possibility of a birdie-putt in three consecutive holes narrowly missed the target.
Woods’ hopes suffered another setback when a bogey at the par-four 16th left him needing a birdie-birdie finish, with a sensational sand save on the 17th and closing par not enough to see him through the weekend.
“That’s probably the highest score I’ve ever hit today,” Woods said. “I hit a lot of good shots that just weren’t enough for me, or I hit good putts, and then I put myself in a couple of bad spots with some lag putts.”
Woods is making his first US Open appearance since 2020
Analysis: Tiger’s last at the US Open?
Four-time major champion Dame Laura Davies: “Everything we’ve seen in the last 18 months … when he tries to play, he doesn’t compete. so. And why not?
“All the wins, all the successes he has had, and I hope it’s not the last. You talk about after disappointment that maybe you don’t mean it, but when Tiger says something, people tend to listen.”
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Woods posted a disappointing four-over-par 74 in the first round of the US Open
Former PGA champion Rich Beem: “I hate to believe that (as the end of Woods US Open), just because we still believe that he has only a little left in the tank. Coming through this injury I know it only takes a toll on him, but I hope it is not true.”
Sky Sports’ Nick Dougherty: “He came into the event with the ambition to try and compete and he’s far from that. He’s going to hate every minute of the last two days.
Woods played alongside Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick for the first two rounds at Pinehurst No 2
“As someone who played in the era when you beat Tiger, you usually won, I hate to see everyone beat him now. As much as I want to watch him play, I just want to watch him play. If he can compete, he’s a really good guy to play.” watching in his prime, he was hard to miss.
Woods prepares for The Open
Woods said that at the start of the year he wanted to complete his major schedule this season, which he has not done since 2019, and that he will now focus on The Open at Royal Troon next month.
Any appearance on the PGA Tour has eluded Woods, although completing all four majors in a calendar year without injury would represent a step in the right direction.
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Watch a selection of the best shots from Woods’ long career at The Open
“I’ve only got one more tournament this season,” Woods said. “Even if I win The Open, I don’t think I’ll be in the (FedExCup) Playoffs. Just one more event and then I’ll be back every time.”
Woods was absent from last year’s contest at Hoylake and missed out on his two previous appearances, at Royal Portrush in 2019 and St Andrews in 2022, with the three-time champion looking to make the cut at The Open for the first time since he finished sixth at Carnoustie in 2018 .
Watch Tiger Woods in action throughout the premier season live on Sky Sports, including The 152nd Open at Royal Troon from July 18-21. Stream majors and more with NOW.
