Golf

Tiger Woods looks to avoid unwanted record at Greenbrier Classic

Former world number one has never missed consecutive cuts at PGA Tour events

Tiger Woods admits he has made progress since the US Open ahead of the Greenbrier Classic in North Carolina. Photograph: Erik S Lesser
Tiger Woods admits he has made progress since the US Open ahead of the Greenbrier Classic in North Carolina. Photograph: Erik S Lesser
Wed Jul 01 2015 - 18:17

Former world number one Tiger Woods, who is currently ranked 220th, will look to avoid yet another unwanted record in this week's Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.

A tie for 17th in the Masters has been the sole bright spot for Woods in an otherwise dismal 2015, which has seen the 14-time Major winner record three scores in the 80s in his last six tournaments.

The 39-year-old’s career-worst score of 82 in the Waste Management Phoenix Open lasted only until an 85 in the Memorial Tournament last month, which was followed by his worst ever score (80) in a US Open and highest 36-hole total (156) of his professional career at Chambers Bay.

Woods has never missed the cut in consecutive PGA Tour events but did make an early exit the last time he played The Old White TPC in 2012.

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“We’ve made a little bit of progress since the last time we played. Obviously that’s not really saying much,” Woods said when he spoke to reporters after his pro-am round on Wednesday.

“I drove it great today and made some nice progress since the Open. It’s hard to believe that I wasn’t that far at the Open but I wasn’t. I had some (minor) injuries that week that I was trying to play through.

“As interesting as that place was, if you missed a shot you could look like an absolute idiot there.”

Speaking about this week’s event, Woods added: “It’s my first time back since the last time I missed the cut here. The golf course is in great shape, the greens are a little bit faster than the last time we played.

“I expect the scores to be very low. We’re going to have to go low, we’re going to have to make a bunch of birdies, keep the pedal down and be aggressive.”

Woods will play the first two rounds alongside former Ryder Cup partner Steve Stricker and Memorial Tournament winner David Lingmerth, who defeated Justin Rose in a play-off at Muirfield Village.

Argentina’s Angel Cabrera will defend the only PGA Tour title he has won that is not a major championship in West Virginia.

Cabrera won the US Open in 2007 and the Masters in 2009 and came close to another victory at Augusta National in 2013, eventually losing out in a play-off to Australia's Adam Scott.

The 45-year-old carded back-to-back rounds of 64 to win 12 months ago but has struggled for form in 2015, his best finish being a tie for 15th in the Waste Management Phoenix Open back in February.

“I’ve been working very hard to get to this point and I’m prepared,” Cabrera told a pre-tournament press conference. “I’m ready to go. I worked very hard.”