Tiger Woods completes 18-hole practice for 152nd Open Championship

Tiger Woods completed an 18-hole practice round at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland ahead of the 152nd Open Championship. 

On Sunday, the 48-year-old took the course after an overnight flight from Florida. 

According to reports, the three-time Open Championship winner spent much of the round chipping and putting. Woods was also reportedly trying to chip out of deep pot bunkers surrounding the greens on the links course. 

Although Tony Finau, Lucas Glover, and Jason Day played in the group before him, Woods opted to go through the course alone with his Caddie, Lance Bennett.

Meanwhile, Justin Thomas, who memorably played practice rounds with Woods at the first three majors this year, was competing in the final round of the Genesis Scottish Open. 

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Woods is gearing up for his first tournament at Royal Troon since the 2004 Open Championship where he finished ninth. He would miss the 2016 tournament while recovering from a back injury. 

In five of his last six major starts, Woods either missed the cut or withdrew from competition. He finished 60th at the Masters in April, making him last among players who made the 36-hole cut at Augusta National with a 72-hole total of 16-over 304. 

The performance was Woods’ worst 72-hole score in a professional event. 

Woods also carded multiple triple bogeys for the first time in 1,344 rounds in the PGA Tour in the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla, per ESPN. As a result, he missed the cut with a 36-hole total of 7-over 149. 

Furthermore, Woods carded a 3-over 73 in the second round and was 7-over 147 after 36 holes in June’s US Open at Pinehurst. Despite playing on a special exemption from the USGA, Woods missed the cut by two strokes. 

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‘Well, it’s one of those things where in order to win a golf tournament, you have to make the cut,’ Woods said at the time. 

‘I can’t win the tournament from where I’m at, so it certainly is frustrating. I thought I played well enough to be up there in contention. It just didn’t work out.’ 

Having played in four official PGA Tournament events this season, Woods indicated in June that The Open would be his last competitive tournament this year. 

‘I’ve only got one more tournament this season,’ Woods said. ‘Even if I win the British Open, I don’t think I’ll be in the [FedEx Cup] playoffs. Just one more event and then I’ll come back whenever I come back.’