ST ANDREWS, Scotland, July 14 (Reuters) – Tiger Woods created a dismal start out to his British Open bid as he carded two early double-bogeys on the way toa six-around-par 78 that left him 14 photographs powering the leader on Thursday.
The American 15-moments important champion, who has received the Open up two times at St Andrews, appeared out of sorts from the moment he uncovered the h2o on the par-four initial hole and begun with a six on his card.
“It feels like I didn’t seriously hit it that bad. I did have poor pace on the greens, yes,” Woods told reporters. “But I finished up in terrible spots. Or just experienced some weird factors materialize. And which is just the way it goes.”
Woods, who returned to aggressive golfing in April at the Masters 14 months right after suffering significant injuries in a car crash, missed past month’s U.S. Open up to put together for the British Open.
But the 46-year-aged looked pensive as he trudged all over the Aged Study course and bogeys at the third and fourth holes took him to 4 around par prior to he unsuccessful to gap a short putt on the seventh green to rack up a different six.
Items did start to enhance all-around the flip on the other hand.
He sank a six-foot putt to birdie the ninth, grinning broadly as he acknowledged warm applause from the group and riding the momentum to pick up another shot at the 10th.
Woods bogeyed the 13th, though, and narrowly missed a long eagle putt at the par-5 14th, settling for his third birdie of the round.
A wild tee shot at the 16th landed in the weighty tough and value him one more shot ahead of he safely and securely negotiated the final two holes and elevated his cap to the packed galleries about the 18th environmentally friendly.
The significance of the venue was not misplaced on Woods.
“(It was) quite, very meaningful,” he said, “All matters deemed, wherever I’ve been, I was hoping I could perform this event this calendar year. And I am. I just failed to do a quite great position of it.”
He also appreciated the help.
“The crowd were being definitely fantastic,” he explained. “So supportive. They ended up incredibly respectful and really appreciative of all of us out there these days, which was wonderful.”
Tied for 145th position in the 156-gentleman subject, Woods wants to make up appreciable floor if he is to stay clear of lacking the halfway reduce at the scene of two of his finest triumphs, in 2000 and 2005.
“Appears to be like I’m heading to have to shoot 66 tomorrow to have a prospect,” he claimed. “Guys did it nowadays. And that’s my responsibility tomorrow to go forward and do it.”
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Reporting by Ed Osmond Enhancing by Ken Ferris
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