-13 C Smith (Aus); -11 C Young (USA); -10 R McIlroy (NI), V Hovland (Nor); -9 D Johnson; -8 S Scheffler (USA), T Hatton (Eng) Selected: -7 T Gooch (USA), A Scott (Birds); -6 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), B Brown (Eng); -5 L Westwood (Eng), X Schauffle (USA); -4 J Rahm (Spa), S Lowry (Ire); -3 S Garcia (Spa), D Law (Sco), I Poulter (Eng), T Fleetwood (Eng); EB MacIntyre (Sco); +1 C Morikawa (USA); +5 P Mickelson (USA); +9 T Woods (USA) Complete scoreboard
Tiger Woods wiped away tears amid emotional scenes as he was applauded throughout the length of the 18-hole Friday for what he says “feels like my last time” playing at the Old Course in an open championship.
No matter if the former world number one was about to miss half the cut in the 150th milestone staging of the world’s oldest major, the ovation was a recognition of his position in the game.
Woods has won two of his three Claret Jugs at the revered St Andrews venue and skipped last month’s U.S. Open to make sure he could play his favorite field this week.
The 46 – year – old did not say it would be his last open championship, but added: “I understood what Jack is. [Nicklaus] and Arnold [Palmer] I felt in the past and I felt that way. They understand what golf is and what it takes to be an Open champion.
“I’ve been lucky enough to win here twice; I was thrilled because I don’t know if I’ll be able to play when I get back here.”
The Open normally returns to St Andrews every five years, which would do the following in 2027, although no official announcement has yet been made.
Woods finished with a pair of three over 75 for a total of nine over, 22 shots adrift from Cameron Smith, who leads after two rounds.
The number six in the Australian world recorded a 64 out of eight below as it improved to 13 below.
Smith leads by two the American Cameron Young in a ranking stacked with the best in the world.
Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy is 10 below with Norwegian Viktor Hovland, while two-time big winner Dustin Johnson is nine below, one ahead of world number one Scottie Scheffler and Englishman Tyrrell Hatton.
Tiger Woods acknowledged the flattery of the fans when he crossed the Swilcan Bridge on Route 18 at the Old Course.
But as the tournament progressed, few will forget Woods ’expulsion.
A first 78 of six over par in the first round left Woods saying he would “need a 66” to make the weekend. It would have been a big task if he was the big winner of 15 times in good health, but almost impossible given that he is still feeling the aftermath of the February 2021 car accident that almost cost him his right leg.
A smile appeared on his face after a bird on the third. But all thoughts of that 66 were extinguished by bogeys in the fourth and sixth holes.
He followed a series of nine pars before attempting a flop shot over a greenside bunker on the 16th and only managed to stick his ball in the sand, marching with a double bogey six.
Regardless of his performance, Woods was encouraged by the links by thousands of fans eager to see the man who has had such a big impact on the game over the last quarter century.
He played with Matt Fitzpatrick, who triumphed at Brookline in June to win his first major. And Englishman and playmate Max Homa stopped to let Woods cross the iconic Swilcan Bridge alone and acknowledge the flattery.
“He put goosebumps on me,” Fitzpatrick said. “Just looking around, seeing everyone stand up, and give him a standing ovation going down 18. Yes, it was amazing. It’s something he will live with me forever.”
Woods had to compose himself before playing his last chip on the valley of sin, muttering “go, go” to himself. He pushed the ball up to four feet, but then missed the birdie putt.
Fitzpatrick also missed a birdie putt, but signed for the 66 Woods longed for, to reach six below halfway.
The score drops in calm conditions
Just as Woods was finishing around 3pm BST, Rory McIlroy was down the first, starting his second round with six under par.
You will have seen those who had come out early with low scores in rainy conditions that helped soften the greens.
Woods said the morning was more like winter, the summer afternoon. Pair for the Old Course.
And when the evening turned into evening, McIlroy was at his best as the sun shone brighter. The momentum of the birdies in the fifth and seventh holes was stopped by a bogey in the eighth. But a series of three birdies from 10 raised it to 10 below, only to return one on 15.
But an excellent 20-foot player on the 17th saw him sign for a four under 68. Hovland joined 10 under, who had a chip on eagle two on the 15th on a 66.
“I’m making holes in everything and I thought I could have been a better couple, but I’m in a fantastic position for the weekend,” McIlroy said.
“It’s a pleasure to be in the mix.”
Former world number one Johnson, who has been suspended from the PGA Tour to join the LIV Golf Series, shot a 67 in the dark of the morning to set the starting pace with nine under.
The two-time big winner is one ahead of Scheffler and Hatton after shooting bogey-free rounds of 68 and 66, respectively.
Australian Adam Scott, who pitched the win a decade ago at the 2012 Open, set the lowest round of the morning’s headlines with a 65 without a bogey that placed him in a group of seven under.
However, when the sun rose in the mid-afternoon and the wind died down, Smith took advantage with five birds in his eight opening holes. The world number six, who won the PGA Tour’s flagship player championship at Sawgrass in March, then threw a 64-foot eagle putt at par-five 14 to advance further.
“I feel like I’ve been a lot in this place for the last two years, and things haven’t gone my way yet,” Smith said.
“I have to have a lot of patience over the weekend. The golf course will be a lot harder and a lot faster. So be patient and make good putts.”
Young, who led overnight with eight under, was one of those who came out in the back wave, and birdied the last to complete a three under 69 and finish at 11 under.
Englishman Barclay Brown is the first fan after following his first 68 with a 70 for a total of six under, three ahead of Italian Filippo Celli.
The cut mark reached parity, that is, defending champion Collin Morikawa, who finished with an envelope after a 73 among those who went home early.