Tiger Woods finishes first round of the Open Championship WAY down the leaderboard as the golf legend shoots eight-over at Royal Troon

Tiger Woods may declare that a 16th awesome triumph is wrong nan realms of anticipation but his eight-over opening information of nan Open Championship suggested otherwise. 

The 15-time awesome victor teed disconnected successful his British Open alongside chap Americans Patrick Cantlay and PGA Championship victor Xander Schauffele in his quest to tame Royal Troon astatine nan 152nd Open Championship Thursday.

But nan task swiftly transformed into Mission: Impossible arsenic nan 48-year-old struggled done yet different information astatine a awesome championship. 

The Big Cat, a three-time victor of The Open, limped alternatively than prowled astir nan links Thursday arsenic weathered a large wind of bogeys on pinch nan Ayrshire weather. 

Things began optimistically but past again, precocious they have, it's nan remainder of nan slog astir 18 holes that descends into 1 large achy grimace. 

Woods fired his opening thrust 201 yards disconnected nan first tee, uncovering nan first trim of unsmooth connected nan correct broadside of nan fairway.

He came adjacent to an opening birdie, rolling his effort to wrong 2 feet for a tap-in par earlier yet entering nan reddish astatine nan third.

But nan struggles, which were erstwhile a daze but now a customary sight, began astatine nan fourth.

Royal Troon instantly snatched nan changeable backmost from Tiger's claws astatine nan 4th wherever he grounded to prehend connected nan par-five opportunity earlier he sank into nan achromatic pinch a double-bogey 5 connected nan par-three fifth. 

His specified 2 birdies were nary lucifer for nan full of six bogeys, including 2 consecutive connected 17 and 18 to wrap up his round, and 2 doubles, featuring a travel to nan train tracks astatine 11, arsenic an opening 79 plundered his hopes. 

Yet, Woods could possibly return flimsy solace successful his institution astatine nan bottommost of nan leaderboard successful chap erstwhile champions Cameron Smith (+9), Rory McIlroy (+7), and Louis Oosthuizen (+7).

Woods reiterated his purpose to tame Troon successful his conquest of a 16th awesome triumph earlier this week - thing he is adamant his war-torn assemblage tin still accomplish.

Yet, nan stats spell retired a different story. The play icon missed nan trim astatine some nan PGA Championship and nan US Open and while he battled done to nan play astatine nan Masters , he vanished successful 60th and past place.

However, Woods' connection remained nan aforesaid he's maintained for nan past 2 years: He wouldn't show up unless he believed he had a changeable astatine victory. 

And, up of this week's tournament, he fixed his glare connected those who asked him why we could expect thing different connected a people that he conceded will 'eat you up' if conditions turn.

'I'll play arsenic agelong arsenic I tin play and I consciousness for illustration I tin still triumph nan event,' he said, brusquely, arsenic he took halfway shape successful beforehand of a packed media halfway Tuesday. 

When asked whether his belief has wavered, he was moreover much economical pinch his words. 'No,' came nan blunt reply.

Woods has played conscionable 9 competitory rounds done 2024 but will still beryllium nan main attraction successful Ayrshire this week. 

'I wish I had a small spot much nether my loop but I've been battling immoderate worldly physically,' he said.

'I want to prevention it for nan majors. I don't want to pain myself retired pre-major and not beryllium capable to play.'

Yet, Woods' mentation for nan last awesome of 2024 had been interrupted by a sleepless nighttime induced by nan attempted assassination of Donald Trump astatine nan weekend. 

He had been flying from Florida to Scotland Saturday nighttime for nan Open Championship when nan erstwhile President was changeable at. 

He admitted he wasn't arsenic caller arsenic he would person liked for his first believe information Sunday arsenic he was engrossed by nan sum of nan incident alternatively than catching up connected his remainder connected nan formation crossed nan Atlantic. 

'I didn't execute a batch because I wasn't successful nan correct framework of mind,' Woods told BBC Sport Tuesday. 

'It was a agelong nighttime [because of nan assassination attempt] and that's each we watched nan full clip connected nan measurement complete here.

'I didn't slumber astatine each connected nan flight, and past we conscionable sewage connected nan play course.'