[The Open] Tears of 'Cut Off' Woods... "I Realized It’s Hard to Come Back to Old Course"

Finished tied 148th out of 156 on the Old Course, resting this year with plans to return to the field next year: "No retirement"

'Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods is taking off his hat to greet the gallery's applause on the 18th hole green on the second day of his 150th Open. St Andrews (Scotland) = Getty Images / Multibitz Photo by Multibitz

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] "I realized that it would be difficult to come back here next time."

The ‘Returned Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods (USA) showed tears. On the 16th (Korean time), right after the second day of the 150th Open, the last major of the year, held at the Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland (par 72, 7,313 yards), he struggled with 3 over par and was ‘cut off.’ Among the 156 players participating, he tied for 148th place (9 over par 153 strokes), with only 7 players behind him, most of whom are former champions who have practically retired.

Woods miraculously made a comeback at the Masters last April after suffering a car accident in February last year that broke both his legs. He devoted himself to preparing for the Open held at the Old Course at St Andrews, which he has called his ‘favorite course in the world’ several times. He withdrew after passing the cut at the PGA Championship and did not participate in the US Open to focus on the Open. His expectations were high, having played as many as 45 holes in practice rounds, but he failed to advance to the third round.

On that day, Woods recorded 1 birdie, 2 bogeys, and 2 double bogeys. His shots were not bad, but he struggled on the greens. His putts missed the holes. When he walked the fairway on the last 18th hole (par 4) to reach the green, he began to shed tears. The gallery surrounding both sides of the fairway cheered with applause and shouts, and Woods took off his hat to respond and waved his hand, but tears flowed endlessly from his eyes. He concluded his journey at the Old Course, where he won 2 of his 3 Open titles.

Woods said, "I am not someone who often sheds tears," and expressed gratitude, saying, "Golf fans knew I would be ‘cut off,’ but they cheered louder and louder." He continued, "This tournament is truly respectable," and emotionally expressed, "I revere the tradition of this tournament." The Open will be held again at the Old Course, where the Open is played once every five years, no earlier than 2027, when Woods will be 52 years old.

"If I come back here again, I might not be in a condition to compete," Woods said, adding, "Even if I participate in the Open, I don’t think I can compete," but emphasized, "However, I will not retire." Woods plans to rest for a while. "I don’t have plans to play in the next tournament yet, and I might participate around next year," he said, smiling, "Fortunately, I played in three major tournaments this year. After all the hardships, it’s lucky to have done this much."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.