Tiger Woods says it is his “responsibility” to go out and shoot a 66 in the second round at St Andrews to try and make sure he is around for the weekend of the 150th Open Championship.
The 15-times Major winner shot a hugely disappointing, six-over par 78 on the opening day to leave himself FOURTEEN shots behind leader Cameron Young and facing a desperate struggle to make the cut.
Woods, three times an Open winner, said: “It looks like I'm going to have to shoot 66 to have a chance. So obviously, it has been done. Guys did it today. And my responsibility tomorrow is to go ahead and do it. Need to do it.”
Woods’ round got off to a dreadful start when he double-bogeyed the first after finding a divot with his 'perfect' tee shot.
And he reckoned that summed up his misfortune in a round that took a staggering SIX HOURS AND TEN minutes to complete.
Woods explained: “That was probably the highest score I could have shot. Didn't get off to a great start. Hit a good tee shot down one, ended up right in the middle of a fresh divot. And I hit a good shot. Wind gusts hit it and ended up in the burn, and started off with a double.
“So I think I had maybe four or five three-putts today. Just wasn't very good on the greens. And every putt I left short. I struggled with hitting the putts hard enough. They looked faster than what they were putting, and I struggled with it.”
But although the round was tortuously slow - and playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick later described it as “a joke” and "ridiculous" - Woods said he did not have too much of a physical struggle to get round.
He said: “It was a lot easier today, physically, than it has been in the other two events I played this year, for sure.”
Even though he failed to give the fans much to cheer about, Tiger was given a rapturous welcome on every tee and every green.
And the adulation clearly touched him.
Woods said: “They were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. So supportive.
"It was very, very meaningful to be here. All things considered, where I've been, I was hoping I could play this event this year.
“Looking at it at the beginning of the year, end of last year when I was rehabbing, trying to see if I could do it, but somehow I was able to play two of the major championships in between then and now, which was great.
“But this was always on the calendar to hopefully be well enough to play it. And I am… but just didn't do a very good job of it.”
