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Tiger Woods

2006 / Royal Liverpool

Tiger Woods provided an imperious display of strategic links golf to mark the return of Hoylake as host of The Open for the first time in 39 years.

A vast gallery of almost 230,000, the second-highest ever, also appreciated the return of a venue so close to Liverpool and enjoyed the glorious weather.

A summer heatwave meant a fast-running links that was brown in colour. Woods decided he had no need of a driver, using it only once, missing the fairway at the par-5 16th in the first round but still making a birdie.

Instead, Woods laid back from the bunkers off the tee and produced a masterclass in long and mid-iron play. After an opening 67 that left him one off the lead, he was one of three players, along with Chris DiMarco and Ernie Els, to set a new record for Opens at Royal Liverpool with a 65. At the 14th he holed out with a 4-iron from 212 yards for an eagle two.

He led from Friday morning onwards but never ran away from the field. Sergio Garcia had a 65, including an eagle two at the second, to join DiMarco and Els just one adrift with a round to play.

It was DiMarco, just as at the 2005 Masters, who pushed Woods hardest in the final round and it took three birdies in a row from the 14th for Woods to finally shake off his compatriot.

A closing 67 gave him a two-stroke victory, with Els third and Garcia dropping to joint-fifth. Woods, the first Champion to defend successfully since Tom Watson in 1983, showed his emotions on the 18th green. His father, Earl, had died two months earlier.

“I wish he could have seen this one last time,” Tiger said.

Name
Finish
R1
R2
R3
R4
Total
Par
Tiger WOODS
1
67
65
71
67
270
-
2
70
65
69
68
272
-
3
68
65
71
71
275
-
4
68
71
66
71
276
-
5
68
71
65
73
277
-
Hideto TANIHARA
5
72
68
66
71
277
-
Angel CABRERA
7
71
68
66
73
278
-
Andres ROMERO
8
70
70
68
71
279
-
8
68
69
70
72
279
-
Carl PETTERSSON
8
68
72
70
69
279
-
S K HO
11
68
73
69
70
280
-
Anthony WALL
11
67
73
71
69
280
-
Ben CRANE
11
68
71
71
70
280
-
Sean O'HAIR
14
69
73
72
67
281
-
Retief GOOSEN
14
70
66
72
73
281
-
Robert ROCK
16
69
69
73
71
282
-
Geoff OGILVY
16
71
69
70
72
282
-
Peter LONARD
16
71
69
68
74
282
-
Mikko ILONEN
16
68
69
73
72
282
-
Brett RUMFORD
16
68
71
72
71
282
-
Robert ALLENBY
16
69
70
69
74
282
-
Mark HENSBY
22
68
72
74
69
283
-
22
74
66
72
71
283
-
Greg OWEN
22
67
73
68
75
283
-
22
69
71
73
70
283
-
Lee SLATTERY
26
69
72
71
72
284
-
Jerry KELLY
26
72
67
69
76
284
-
Paul BROADHURST
26
71
71
73
69
284
-
Hunter MAHAN
26
73
70
68
73
284
-
Rory SABBATINI
26
69
70
73
72
284
-
Simon KHAN
31
70
72
68
75
285
-
Thaworn WIRATCHANT
31
71
68
74
72
285
-
Scott VERPLANK
31
70
73
67
75
285
-
31
69
72
75
69
285
-
Marcus FRASER
35
68
71
72
75
286
-
John SENDEN
35
70
73
73
70
286
-
Michael CAMPBELL
35
70
71
75
70
286
-
Robert KARLSSON
35
70
71
71
74
286
-
Luke DONALD
35
74
68
73
71
286
-
Rod PAMPLING
35
69
71
74
72
286
-
Brandt JOBE
41
69
71
75
72
287
-
Stephen AMES
41
70
71
72
74
287
-
Soren KJELDSEN
41
71
71
71
74
287
-
41
71
68
68
80
287
-
41
72
71
73
71
287
-
Jeff SLUMAN
41
71
72
68
76
287
-
41
67
70
76
74
287
-
Gonzalo FERNANDEZ-CASTANO
48
70
69
73
76
288
-
Andrew MARSHALL
48
72
71
68
77
288
-
Marius THORP
48
71
71
75
71
288
-
48
72
71
74
71
288
-
48
72
70
75
71
288
-
Simon WAKEFIELD
48
72
71
70
75
288
-
John BICKERTON
48
72
70
70
76
288
-
Simon DYSON
48
74
69
70
75
288
-
56
70
70
78
71
289
-
Mike WEIR
56
68
72
73
76
289
-
Tim Clark
56
72
69
69
79
289
-
56
73
68
76
72
289
-
Keiichiro FUKABORI
56
67
73
70
79
289
-
61
66
73
72
79
290
-
Andrew BUCKLE
61
72
69
72
77
290
-
Marco RUIZ
63
71
70
80
70
291
-
63
71
70
77
73
291
-
Chad CAMPBELL
65
70
73
74
75
292
-
Vaughn TAYLOR
66
72
71
77
74
294
-
Fred FUNK
66
69
74
75
76
294
-
Edoardo MOLINARI
68
73
70
77
75
295
-
68
72
71
74
78
295
-
Bart BRYANT
70
69
74
77
76
296
-
71
72
70
79
77
298
-
Jarrod LYLE
M/C
74
70
-
-
-
M/C
Mathew GOGGIN
M/C
75
69
-
-
-
M/C
Rich BEEM
M/C
71
73
-
-
-
M/C
Mark PILKINGTON
M/C
76
68
-
-
-
M/C
Markus BRIER
M/C
71
73
-
-
-
M/C
Niclas FASTH
M/C
69
75
-
-
-
M/C
Paul McGINLEY
M/C
71
73
-
-
-
M/C
Bradley DREDGE
M/C
70
74
-
-
-
M/C
Phillip PRICE
M/C
74
70
-
-
-
M/C
Jeff MAGGERT
M/C
75
69
-
-
-
M/C
Tom PERNICE JR
M/C
71
73
-
-
-
M/C
Scott DRUMMOND
M/C
73
71
-
-
-
M/C
Lucas GLOVER
M/C
72
73
-
-
-
M/C
Shiv KAPUR
M/C
72
73
-
-
-
M/C
Ted PURDY
M/C
74
71
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
68
77
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
71
74
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
72
73
-
-
-
M/C
Nick O'HERN
M/C
70
75
-
-
-
M/C
Thomas AIKEN
M/C
72
74
-
-
-
M/C
J J HENRY
M/C
73
73
-
-
-
M/C
Brett WETTERICH
M/C
74
72
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
73
73
-
-
-
M/C
David SMAIL
M/C
76
70
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
73
73
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
70
76
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
74
72
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
73
73
-
-
-
M/C
Richard GREEN
M/C
71
75
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
70
76
-
-
-
M/C
Bo VAN PELT
M/C
74
72
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
73
73
-
-
-
M/C
Aaron BADDELEY
M/C
70
76
-
-
-
M/C
KJ CHOI
M/C
72
74
-
-
-
M/C
Julien GUERRIER
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
Michael WRIGHT
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
Adam BLAND
M/C
73
74
-
-
-
M/C
Nick DOUGHERTY
M/C
74
73
-
-
-
M/C
Darren PARRIS
M/C
75
72
-
-
-
M/C
Shaun MICHEEL
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
78
69
-
-
-
M/C
Kenny PERRY
M/C
73
74
-
-
-
M/C
Bradley HUGHES
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
Davis LOVE III
M/C
75
72
-
-
-
M/C
Billy ANDRADE
M/C
72
75
-
-
-
M/C
Ross WELLINGTON
M/C
75
73
-
-
-
M/C
Shingo KATAYAMA
M/C
74
74
-
-
-
M/C
Arron OBERHOLSER
M/C
73
75
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
73
75
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
77
71
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
74
74
-
-
-
M/C
JB HOLMES
M/C
74
75
-
-
-
M/C
Toshinori MUTO
M/C
75
74
-
-
-
M/C
Richard STERNE
M/C
76
73
-
-
-
M/C
Johan EDFORS
M/C
75
74
-
-
-
M/C
Tim HERRON
M/C
76
73
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
75
74
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
72
77
-
-
-
M/C
Jim PAYNE
M/C
73
76
-
-
-
M/C
Brett QUIGLEY
M/C
79
71
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
76
74
-
-
-
M/C
David HOWELL
M/C
74
76
-
-
-
M/C
Barry LANE
M/C
75
75
-
-
-
M/C
Peter HEDBLOM
M/C
73
77
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
75
76
-
-
-
M/C
Yasuharu IMANO
M/C
73
78
-
-
-
M/C
Nick LUDWELL
M/C
75
76
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
74
77
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
75
76
-
-
-
M/C
M/C
69
82
-
-
-
M/C
Tatsuhiko ICHIHARA
M/C
78
74
-
-
-
M/C
Adam FRAYNE
M/C
71
81
-
-
-
M/C
Bruce VAUGHAN
M/C
75
77
-
-
-
M/C
Warren BLADON
M/C
76
76
-
-
-
M/C
Warren ABERY
M/C
76
77
-
-
-
M/C
Danny DENISON
M/C
78
76
-
-
-
M/C
Gary LOCKERBIE
M/C
78
76
-
-
-
M/C
Wayne PERSKE
M/C
76
79
-
-
-
M/C
Unho PARK
M/C
82
74
-
-
-
M/C
Ben BUNNY
M/C
74
83
-
-
-
M/C
Carlos RODILES
M/C
81
76
-
-
-
M/C
Sam LITTLE
M/C
83
74
-
-
-
M/C
Gary DAY
M/C
82
76
-
-
-
M/C
Jon BEVAN
M/C
82
81
-
-
-
M/C
Kenneth FERRIE
Wd
76
-
-
-
-
M/C

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