Tiger Woods vowed to "keep fighting" after shooting the worst round of his professional career at the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Friday.
The 14-time Major winner went round TPC Scottsdale in an 11-over par 82, one shot worse than his previous high at the 2002 British Open at Muirfield.
Conditions were a major factor on that wet and windy Saturday in East Lothian and, while rain was falling in the desert on Friday, that was no excuse for Woods whose short game in particular let him down badly.
The 39-year-old recorded a triple, two doubles and six bogeys alongside two birdies as he set himself up to finish 13 over and miss a second consecutive cut for the first time in his career.
Woods had cut a positive figure in the build up to to the event, stating that he was “ahead of schedule” and expressing optimism in the work he had done on his chipping with new swing consultant Chris Como.
And while clearly crestfallen following his worst 18-holes on Tour, Woods was philosophical about his horror morning in the desert.
“It’s golf,” he told a press conference televised by the Golf Channel. “We all have days like this. Unfortunately mine was in a public forum and a public setting but we all have days like this and we take the good with the bad.
“Even on bad days like this, just keep fighting because on the good days you’ve to keep fighting as well.”
The Phoenix Open was Woods’s first event of the season and his first outing since he finished joint last at the World Hero Challenge in December, an event with no cut.
His chipping and short-game problems came to the fore at that event and Woods admitted he is still trying to adjust from the methods of old coach Sean Foley.
“It’s a pattern,” he said. “Overall swing-wise my attack angle was much steeper with Sean and now I’m very shallow so that in turn affects the chipping.
“I’m not bottoming out in the same spot. It’s a different spot.”
Woods, who has fallen to 47th in the world, missed the cut at the US PGA Championship in August, his last official Tour event, and then withdrew from contention for Ryder Cup selection as he continued to recover from back surgery.
But he stressed that he was physically fine and injury was not the cause of his poor effort, insisting he just needed to play his way back into form and get used to his swing changes.
“It’s part of the process,” he said. “You’ve got to get out there and do it.
“Hitting golf balls is one thing, playing golf at home is another, playing tournament golf is completely another.
“I’ve got to continue with the process, I’ve been here before.
“It wasn’t that long ago that I changed my swing with Sean and I was player of the year only a year ago so I’ve got to keep things in perspective. Sometimes it’s difficult to do that, there’s no doubt about that.”
Following up an opening 73, Woods began on Friday with a par at the 10th, his first.
A bogey followed on 11 but back-to-back pars showed no signs of alarm before a double-bogey on 14 and a triple on 15 left him six over for the day after as many holes.
A par followed on 16 but consecutive bogeys got him to the turn in 44, his joint worst nine-hole score, matching the run during at the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in 2013.
Three pars provided some respite but a double-bogey was followed by a birdie and two further bogeys.
A birdie on eight meant Woods could avoid hitting a new low with a par on the par-four ninth but, after leaving himself with 11 feet, he missed left to make unwanted history.
Like Woods, Pádraig Harrington also had an eight on his card as he ended his stay in Phoenix after a seven-over 78.
The three-time Major champion had five bogeys and two birdies on the front nine to go out in 38, but birdies on 13th and 15th were undone by a double-bogey six on the 14th and a quadruple-bogey on the 18th as he finished on seven over.
