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Former Open champions have rough go at St. Andrews

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — The last four British Open champions who won their titles on the Old Course missed the cut at St. Andrews on Friday.

Zach Johnson (2015), Louis Oosthuizen (2010), Tiger Woods (2005, 2000) and John Daly (1995) all finished over par after two rounds. The cut was at even-par 144.

Oosthuizen came the closest to making it to the weekend, posting 74 to miss by one shot. Woods was the farthest out of that group. He opened with a 78 and followed with 75 for his worst 36-hole score in six times playing the Open at St. Andrews.



Woods acknowledged it could be his last.

“The people knew that I wasn’t going to make the cut at the number I was,” Woods said. “But the ovations got louder as I was coming home.”

Plenty of other former Open champions joined them in not making the cut, including Collin Morikawa. The 25-year-old American, who won the title last year at Royal St. George’s, finished his two rounds at 1 over.

Morikawa is the first defending champion to miss the cut since Darren Clarke in 2012. Clarke also won his only major title at Royal St. George’s.

Phil Mickelson, Henrik Stenson, Ernie Els and Padraig Harrington also failed to make the final weekend.

“It hurts missing the cut,” said Harrington, a two-time champion who birdied his first two holes Friday but shot 78 to end up at 3 over. “It hurts missing when you were 5 under par. Do you want any more hurts?”