Tiger ‘completely lost’ while carding dreary 80 in U.S. Open

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. — Tiger Woods’ disastrous season continued Thursday, as the world’s former No. 1 golfer posted his highest U.S. Open round in 19 years.

With a 10-over-par 80 in the first round at Chambers Bay Golf Club, Woods looked more like a local amateur playing the public links-style course than a 14-time major championship winner. Only two golfers — Rickie Fowler (81) and Rich Berberian Jr. (83) — carded worse scores in the field of 156.

All 16 amateurs shot better rounds than Woods, including 15-year-old Cole Hammer, the third-youngest player in U.S. Open history, who shot 77.

Not that Woods was expected to do much in the year’s second major. His odds to win were 60-1 at Las Vegas sports books, an all-time high for the golfer who has fallen to 195th in the rankings.

“I just can’t get the consistency that I’d like to have out there,” Woods said.

Woods hit only six of 14 fairways, pushing several shots to the right. He took most of his second shots from the deeper cuts of Chambers Bay’s fescue rough, or one of the course’s dozens of bunkers. He hit nine of 18 greens and averaged two putts per hole.

“Unfortunately it was a high number today,” said Woods, whose last major title came in the 2008 U.S. Open.

Woods’ day seemed doomed from the beginning. After back-to-back bogeys to start his round, he looked understandably frustrated. As the 39-year-old hung his head and grimaced, Fox TV cameras captured his obvious emotions for viewers around the world.

“He’s just completely lost out there,” Greg Norman said on the Fox telecast.

The round was Woods’ third in the 80s in his previous 15 rounds dating to Jan. 30. In 1,107 career rounds before then, he had just one round in the 80s, an 81 in the 2002 British Open on a cold, rainy and windy day at Muirfield.

“I haven’t played enough. I haven’t had a rhythm to play,” Woods said.

While Woods was straightforward about his round, most players downplayed their positions on the leaderboard. Perhaps Summerlin resident Kevin Na, who shot par 70, said it best.

“There’s still plenty of golf left to play,” he said.

Not for Woods, who would have to pull off a miracle to make the cut after today’s second round.

Former UNLV standout Adam Scott also shot 70 to match Na for the best score among players with Las Vegas ties. Former UNLV star Ryan Moore shot 75, and ex-Rebel Charley Hoffman shot 76.

Contact Chris Kudialis at ckudialis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283. Find him on Twitter: @kudialisrj.