Emotional Woods bows out
LONDON - Former world No.1 Dustin Johnson, who recently defected to the breakaway LIV series, shot a 67 to seize the clubhouse lead at nine under par on the second day of the 150th British Open yesterday, but an emotional Tiger Woods bowed out after his struggles continued on the Old Course.
Johnson, the two-time major winner who quit the PGA Tour last month to join the controversial Saudi-backed series, followed his opening four-under-par 68 with a bogey at the first. However, the American quickly recovered from that with no more bogeys and six birdies, including one at the last which saw him move clear atop the leaderboard. American Cameron Young, who led by two strokes overnight after an eightunder-par 64 on Thursday, teed-off in his second round later.
Meanwhile, after sitting at five-under overnight, Australia’s
Cameron Smith birdied five of his first nine holes to lead on the course at 10-under. World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and England’s Tyrrell Hatton, who went out together, both moved onto eight-under at the halfway stage. Masters champion Scheffler recorded a second consecutive 68 while Hatton enjoyed a bogey-free 66 yesterday.
The last player to win the Masters and British Open in the same year was Woods in 2005. That was the year of his second Open triumph in St Andrews and the 46-year-old was determined to be present this week as he recovers from suffering severe leg injuries in a car crash last year. However, he shot a six-over-par 78 in a grim first round that began with him going into the Swilcan Burn at the first hole.
A 75 yesterday, featuring a double-bogey at the 16th, represented an improvement, but at nine-over he will not be returning for the weekend, and possibly not to another Open here.