Tiger Woods bids emotional farewell in likely St Andrews swansong

The 15-time major winner looked a pale imitation of his best and conceded he may have played his last Open at St Andrews

The denouement was Othello-level painful, a farewell wreathed in desolation. But let's be as blunt as the man himself was after missing the cut by nearly as many shots as he has won some of his 15 majors: Tiger Woods strongly doubts he will challenge for the Claret Jug at St Andrews again.

When Woods compounded his six-over par first round with another three dropped shots in slightly more benign conditions on Friday morning, reality crowded out any unlikely notion of joining the weekend charge with younger, stronger candidates.