Tiger Woods says he's not consistent as he misses cut at The Open
- Published
Tiger Woods last missed multiple cuts in 2015
The 148th Open Championship, Royal Portrush |
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Dates: 18-21 July |
Coverage: Live text updates and in-play clips on BBC Sport website, with live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and daily highlights on BBC Two. Full details |
Three-time champion Tiger Woods said he can no longer be consistent after missing the cut at The Open, and added he would be taking a short break.
The 15-time major winner finished on six over and he has now missed multiple cuts at majors in the same season for only the second time.
"As an older athlete you're not going to be as consistent as you were at 23," said the 43-year-old.
Woods, who has had back operations, complained of soreness on Thursday.
He struggled to a seven-over 78 and said he would be receiving treatment after the round. The American, who won the Masters in April, improved on Friday with a 70, although he finished the round with back-to-back bogeys.
The American, who also missed the cut at the US PGA Championship, added: "I'm going to have my hot weeks. I'm going to be there in contention with a chance to win, and I will win tournaments.
"But there are times when I'm just not going to be there and that wasn't the case 20-some-odd years ago. I had a different body and I was able to be a little bit more consistent.
"I love the atmosphere and I love the stress of playing in a major. Unfortunately, I've only had a chance to win one of them and was able to do it but at the other three I didn't do very well."
Woods will skip the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in Memphis in order to rest before the FedEx play-offs.
"I just want some time off just to get away from it," he added.
"I had a long trip to Thailand and was then trying to get ready for this event. It's been a lot of travel, a lot of time in the air, a lot of moving around and different hotels. I just want to go home."
'That's why at 43 you are more or less done'
Iain Carter, BBC Sport golf correspondent at Royal Portrush
Tiger Woods' body is frail and fragile and will work some weeks, as it did so well at the Masters, but it will let him down especially in conditions like this here.
Actually the fact he is being as candid as he is is a shift because during the previous problems prior to his back fusion operation there was an element of denial. We could see he was really struggling but he was telling us the aura was still there and he could still win titles.
Woods turned this into a sport for athletes and athletes are done by their late 30s in other sports. The model Woods brought to the game of being in the gym and training as an athlete has changed the game of golf. It's a power game and takes a toll on the body. It's power rather than guile and that's why at 43 you are more or less done.