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 Saturday, 20 July, 2002, 18:25 GMT 19:25 UK
Tiger's bid in tatters
Tiger Woods points to the sky during a rare bad day for him
The golfing gods did not smile on Woods on Saturday

Tiger Woods' hopes of a third consecutive Grand Slam all but ended after the worst round of his professional career at Muirfield.

The world number one recorded an unthinkable 81 which included seven bogeys and two double bogeys.


Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be today
Tiger Woods

Things started and ended badly for Woods - he bogeyed the first and then saw a birdie putt lip out at the 18th.

"Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be today," said Woods.

"I didn't get off to the greatest of starts.

"It was tough starting out - the wind was howling, it was raining pretty hard."

Woods also dismissed suggestions that he mentally relaxed once his round started to disintegrate, or that he was playing with an injury.

"I tried all the way round - you know me, I don't bag it.

"I feel great but I hit bad shots on a tough day."

Dreadful day

Every aspect of Woods' game seemed to crumble as the Scottish weather finally played a decisive effect on proceedings at Muirfield.

During the opening nine holes, Woods hit just one fairway from the tee and on the one hole where he did, he left the green with a double bogey.

His putting, as it has so far during the tournament, seemed hesitant, with misses from medium and short distances.

Tiger Woods sizes up a putt
Woods' magic putter did not work for him

Perhaps the lowest point of his round came at the start of the inward nine, with dropped shots at the 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th.

He steadied the ship from then on, but the memory of what happened before could not escape his mind.

After a birdie at the 17th, he raised his arms, acknowledging what a dreadful day it had been.

And his putt at the 18th was full of the uncharacteristic uncertainty which he had displayed for the previous four hours.

 WATCH/LISTEN
 ON THIS STORY
BBC Sport's Iain Carter
"Els took advantage of improving conditions"
World number one Tiger Woods
"That was the best I could have shot"
BBC Sport Online's Open Golf Championship news section

All the Muirfield action

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