Tiger preps for Open with 18-hole practice round

TROON, Scotland — Fifteen-time major champion Tiger Woods started preparations for the 152nd Open Championship with an 18-hole practice round at Royal Troon Golf Club on Sunday.

Woods, a three-time Open Championship winner, spent much of the round chipping and putting as well as trying to chip out of the deep pot bunkers surrounding the greens on the famous links course.

Woods looked strong after an overnight flight from Florida.

While Tony Finau, Lucas Glover and Jason Day played in the group in front of him, Woods opted to walk the course alone with his caddie, Lance Bennett. Justin Thomas, who played practice rounds with Woods at the first three majors, was competing in the final round of the Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday.

It will be Woods’ first tournament at Royal Troon since he tied for ninth in the 2004 Open Championship. He missed the 2016 tournament while recovering from a back injury.

Woods, 48, missed the cut or withdrew in five of his past six starts in majors. He was 60th at the Masters in April, last among players who made the 36-hole cut at Augusta National with a 72-hole total of 16-over 304. It was Woods’ worst 72-hole score in a professional event.

In the second round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, Woods carded multiple triple bogeys for the first time in 1,344 rounds in his PGA Tour career, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. He missed the cut with a 36-hole total of 7-over 149.

In the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in June, Woods carded a 3-over 73 in the second round and was 7-over 147 after 36 holes. He missed the cut by 2 strokes. He was playing on a special exemption from the United States Golf Association.

“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.”

Woods, who has played in only four official PGA Tour events this season, 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.”