Woods misses cut as Shane sparkles

TIGER Woods missed the cut in The Open for the third time in a row as Ireland’s Shane Lowry continued his eventful bid for a second Claret Jug on day two at Royal Troon.

- PHIL CASEY

Woods had targeted a second round in the mid-60s to “get something going on the weekend” following an opening 79, but that quickly became a forlorn hope despite better conditions for the early starters.

A clumsy chip from right of the green on the second led to a double bogey and the 15-time major champion slumped to 11 over par when he was unable to save par from a bunker on the fifth.

Woods made a record 24th consecutive cut in the Masters in April but shot 82 and 77 over the weekend at Augusta National and made early exits from the US PGA Championship and US Open.

The 48-year-old admitted at Pinehurst he remains stuck between practising more to gain competitive sharpness and being concerned about suffering yet another injury which would rule him out of any action “It’s pick your poison, right?”