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Tiger Woods kept staring incredulously at the ball — when it veered off in odd directions, when it stopped rolling far from the cup.
It was as though Woods had suddenly forgotten how to read a putt.
Woods' latest chance to end the longest drought of his career slipped away on Sunday at the British Open.
It was another mystifying showing by a guy who used to produce that sort of magic fairly regularly. He once was considered a lock to break Jack Nicklaus' record in golf's biggest events, yet the number of titles remains stuck at 14 — four shy of the Golden Bear and right where it's been since Woods' last big triumph at the 2008 US Open.
He started the day just two strokes behind 54-hole leader Lee Westwood, but it fell apart pretty quickly. An ugly three-putt at No. 1 was the start of his misery, and Woods was at 3 over for the round by the time he walked off the sixth green.

Though he remained on the fringe of contention all day, he never got to the top of the board.
Instead, it was Phil Mickelson surging into contention and then running away with the title, posting a 5-under 66 that matched the lowest round of the week and carried him to a three-stroke win.
Woods staggered to the finish with a 74, five shots in arrears of the winner.

It didn't even seem that close, thanks to a dismal performance with the putter. Woods needed 33 swipes with the short stick to get around the course. Only six of the 84 players used it more.
"I had a hard time adjusting to the speeds," Woods said. "They were much slower today, much softer. I don't think I got too many putts to the hole."
Even so, he didn't sound impressed with Mickelson's round, which matched the best score of the week and left him as the only player to break par overall.
While everyone else gushed over Lefty making four birdies in the last six holes, Woods said: "The greens are slower and if you have the feel to hit it far enough up there into the greens, you can get it done. You can shoot between 3 and 5 under par."
As for Mickelson, he added, "Evidently he got a pretty good feel for it and made a few putts."
Woods seems to have made up with Steve Williams, the longtime caddie he dumped a few years ago in a bitter split. Williams now works for Adam Scott, Woods' playing partner on Sunday. When it was over, Woods and Williams shook hands on the green, with Woods even giving him a little pat on the shoulder.
Woods played with Lee Westwood the day before, and it was actually late in their back-and-forth duel that the fade began. They were tied for the lead going to the 17th hole, with Woods poised to hold at least a share of it going to the final round of a major for the first time since the 2009 PGA Championship.
But he knocked his second shot in a fairway bunker and took bogey, while Westwood rolled in a birdie to take a two-shot lead. That was the deficit when Woods teed off in the next-to-last group.
He never got any closer.
"It was frustrating," Woods said. "I played well. I could just never get the speed right today. We started on the first day and it progressively got slower."


Muirfield leaves Tiger Woods mystified

Tiger Woods of the United States reacts on the 18th green. Photo: AP

Tiger Woods

Mickelson finally ends his links jinx to win Claret Jug

US golfer Phil Mickelson with the Claret Jug. Photo: AFP

Lee Westwood. Photo: AFP

It was Phil Mickelson’s 20th appearance at the British Open and only the third time he had finished in the top 10. Photo: Reuters

Lee Westwood comes up short in British Open

The ball rolls back into the bunker after Lee Westwood plays his first shot on the seventh hole at the British Open on Sunday. Photo: AFP

Scott slips up for the second year running

Adam Scott is glad it's all over after his final putt. Photo: AFP

Sport

Golf

Tiger Woods kept staring incredulously at the ball — when it veered off in odd directions, when it stopped rolling far from the cup. It was as though Woods had suddenly forgotten how to read a putt.
