Tiger Woods Hints at Retirement After Disappointing US Open
The legendary Tiger Woods has suggested that his competitive days at the US Open might be over after failing to make the cut by a narrow margin of two strokes. In his second round at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, Woods shot a three-over-par 73, ending his run at seven over par after two days of play.
The cut line for this challenging major was set at five over, with only the top 60 players and ties moving forward to the weekend. The 48-year-old Woods managed a birdie on the par-4 fourth hole by sinking a long putt on Friday, only to bogey the following hole and accumulate three additional bogeys, without any further birdies for the remainder of his round.
Since suffering severe leg injuries in a car accident in 2021, the 15-time major winner has made only sporadic appearances in tournaments and has frequently hinted at the possibility of retiring. His current ranking is so low that he required a special exemption to participate in this year’s US Open.
Prior to the event, Woods had spoken about the possibility of competing in one tournament per month for the rest of the year. However, on Friday, he admitted that next month’s British Open Championship at Royal Troon could be his final tournament of 2024. “Even if I win the British Open, I don’t think I’ll be in the [FedEx Cup] playoffs,” Woods stated. “I’ll play one more event and then take a break, coming back whenever I feel ready.”
Reflecting on missing the cut on Friday, Woods acknowledged that this might be his last appearance at the prestigious tournament. “To win a golf tournament, you have to make the cut,” Woods noted. “I can’t win from where I am now, which is certainly frustrating. I believed I played well enough to be in contention, but it just didn’t happen.”
When questioned about his future in the Open or US Open Championships, Woods was uncertain. “As for my last Open or US Open, I’m not sure. It might be, it might not be,” he said. One of Woods’ most memorable achievements was his victory at the 2008 US Open, where he triumphed over Rocco Mediate in a sudden-death playoff after an 18-hole Monday playoff.
Frustration at the US Open
Leading up to the tournament, there was much discussion about the challenging ‘turtleback’ greens of Pinehurst. This added level of difficulty was something Woods had looked forward to. “This week is going to be a real test and a great battle of endurance,” he remarked at his pre-event press conference. “It’s going to be a lot of fun for all of us.”
Despite his enthusiasm, things did not go as planned, and Woods missed the cut. He described his performance at this year’s US Open as “frustrating.” “I’m not playing this weekend,” he admitted. “I felt that my ball-striking and putting were good enough to keep me in the competition, but unfortunately, I’m not.”
Woods has a strong attachment to the Masters, where he has made the cut in a record 24 consecutive starts. However, he has not made the cut in any major tournament since the 2022 PGA Championship, where he withdrew after three rounds due to plantar fasciitis.
