PINEHURST, North Carolina, USA (AP) — Hole 15 could have been the key to the weekend, the opportunity for a birdie and to play in red on Sunday, as history dictates. But no. The putt was good, the ball rolled around the edge, but stubbornly refused to drop. Then Tiger Woods made a bogey on the 16th, par and par on the last two holes and signed a scorecard of 73 for the second round of the US Open.
With a total of 147 strokes (74 on Thursday), and seven over par, the legendary 48-year-old player did not make the cut and was once again eliminated from a major tournament, just like last month at the PGA Championship.
Why isn't Tiger Woods playing at the same level as before?
Due to his long history of injuries, including those caused by a serious car accident a few years ago, Tiger's schedule is limited to only the major golf tournaments worldwide. Therefore, the chances of seeing him win his 16th major seem rather utopian.
Woods knows this and perhaps that is why, after being eliminated this Friday at Pinehurst, he cast doubt on his participation in these tournaments.
When asked directly if at any point this week he thought this could have been his last US Open, Tiger responded intriguingly: “As far as my last Open Championship or U.S. Open Championship, I don’t know what that is. It may or may not be.”
Regarding his level, Woods said, “my ball-striking and felt like my putting was good enough to be in contention, and I’m not. Yes, it is frustrating because I’m not here to have a chance to win on the weekend.”
How long will Tiger Woods continue playing?
Unlike other individual sports, such as tennis, golf allows you to be competitive at an older age. Jack Nicklaus, for example, won the 1986 Masters at the age of 46. Tiger is 48, but he has been dealing with back problems that have prevented him from playing more tournaments, and that's why his 2024 season will end after playing The Open at Royal Troon (southwest Scotland), between July 18 and 21.
According to the regulations of the Masters and PGA Championship, Woods has a lifetime invitation as a former champion, and in the case of the British Open, until he turns 60. The conditions for the US Open are much stricter and Tiger no longer meets any of the qualifying criterias, so this year for the first time in his career he received an exemption. Will it happen again in 2025?