Open Championship: Tiger Woods makes birdie on 18 just to make the cut
Last Updated: 19/07/14 4:08pm
After such a good comeback round in the Open on Thursday, Tiger Woods had to make a clutch putt on the 18th at Royal Liverpool just to make the cut this time around.
Starting the day three-under, Woods shot a disappointing 77 to slip to two-over, which was just good enough to get him into the weekend.
It's all a lot different to the last time he played at Hoylake when he won his third and last Open to date in 2006, and he now sits a whopping 14 shots off leader Rory McIlroy.
Having only used driver once back in 2006, that club proved his undoing on Friday as errant drives cost him six shots in his second round.
"I didn't hit the driver very good today. I was trying to be bolder, more aggressive," said Woods. "With the wind the way it was I could take some of the bunkers out of play, get it down there where I could hit sand wedge into the greens even from the rough.
"Angel (Cabrera, one of his playing partners) was doing that yesterday and did it quite effectively with a different wind but this was a more difficult wind.
"I figured today was a chance where I could go out and be aggressive but I just didn't drive the ball."
Bad start
Woods' first shot of the day went wide left and led to a double bogey six, and he was left ruing another bad start.
"It was not a very good round. I got off to a terrible start again," he added. "I had some opportunities to get back to even par for the day but I just never did, I never made anything.
"I had myself in good positions to make birdies and I didn't do it."
Woods will not publicly concede defeat in his bid to catch McIlroy but it would take a remarkable turnaround for him to get anywhere near.
"It gives me a chance. I'm pretty far back," he said. "Luckily I have two rounds to go and maybe I can do something like Paul (Lawrie) did in 1999 and make up 10 in one day.
"Hopefully I can play well and give myself a shot going into the back nine on Sunday.
"It is not a surprise what Rory is doing, he's won both of his majors by eight so when he gets going he can make a lot of birdies. He plays pretty aggressively to begin with and when he is going he can get it going pretty good."