Tiger Woods had tears in his eyes walking down 18th hole

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – An emotional Tiger Woods walked across the Swilcan Bridge and down the fairway saluting the massive galleries with his hat in his right hand and a huge smile on his face as he headed to the 18^th green.

It was the 36^th and final hole for Woods in the 150^th Open Championship at the Home of Golf, his play coming to an end Friday with cut-missing rounds of 78-75.

His score didn’t matter at the moment.

There were tears in his eyes, weight in his heart. He knew this could be the last time he plays competitively in an Open Championship on The Old Course in this ancient town by the sea.

So he soaked in the explosion of sound from the appreciative gallery.

“So the warmth and the ovation at 18, it got to me,” Woods said. “It’s very emotional for me. I’ve been coming here since 1995, and I don’t know when – I think the next one comes around in what, 2030? – and I don’t know if I will be physically able to play by then.

“So to me it felt like this might have been my last British Open here at St. Andrews. And the fans, the ovation and the warmth, it was an unbelievable feeling. They understand what golf’s all about and what it takes to be an Open champion.

“And I’ve been lucky enough and fortunate enough to have won this twice here (in 2000 and 2005). And it felt very emotional, just because I just don’t know what my health is going to be like. And I feel like I will be able to play future British Opens, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to play that long enough that when it comes back around here, will I still be playing?”

Woods, 46, was especially moved when he sensed his caddie, Joey LaCava, and playing partners Max Homa and Matt Fitzpatrick and their caddies lag back to give Woods the stage. And then Rory McIlroy, walking down the first fairway after starting his round, tipped his cap to Woods. Justin Thomas did the same a hole earlier, as did other players.

“It was just incredible,” Woods said. “It’s just there’s something to it that’s just different. The nods I was getting from guys as they were going out and I was coming in, just the respect, that was pretty neat. And from a players’ fraternity level, it’s neat to see that and feel that.

“I had a few tears. I’m not one who gets very teary-eyed very often about anything.”

Woods said he was “ticked” about not being able to play the weekend, but he knows he didn’t play well enough to get past two rounds. He made far too…