Following his missed cut at the US Open, Tiger Woods has dropped a major hint at his retirement. He said he didn't know if this would be his last appearance here or if there were more to come.
Although Woods didn't struggle physically at Pinehurst, he failed to make it to the weekend as he shot 74 and 73 over two days to miss the cut by two shots. He picked up just three birdies in 36 holes but ended up making 10 bogeys.
On Friday, June 14, when asked whether it was his last US Open, Tiger Woods neither denied nor accepted it.
"As far as my last Open Championship or US Open Championship, I don't know what that is. It may or may not be," he said in the post-round interview.
The 48-year-old golfer has participated in four events this season, and three of them have been Major championships. He only made the cut at the Masters Tournament but missed the cut at the PGA Championship and the US Open.
Speaking on his performance, the three-time US champion said it was frustrating to not make the cut.
"I thought I played well enough to be up there in contention," he said. "It just didn't work out."
After 36 holes, Ludvig Aberg has a solo one-stroke lead at 5-under. He carded 1-under 69 on Friday. Bryson DeChambeau, Thomas Detry, and Patrick Cantlay are tied for second. Rory McIlroy slipped to third after shooting 2-over 72.
What's next for Tiger Woods?
During the post-round interview, Tiger Woods clarified that the Open Championship would be his last event this season.
"I've only got one more tournament this season," he said. "I don't think even if I win the British Open I don't think I'll be in the Playoffs. Just one more event and then I'll come back whenever I come back."
Tiger Woods has won the Open Championship three times in his career, with his last victory coming in 2006. Since 2019, he has appeared in the event only twice and missed the cut on both occasions. His most recent success at a Major championship was the 2019 Masters Tournament, which was also his last top-10 finish. Since then, he has had six missed cuts and three withdrawals in 13 Major appearances.
The 48-year-old golfer has secured 82 titles on the PGA Tour, and one more win would make him the winningest player on the Tour. However, he hasn’t found success since the 2020 Zozo Championship.