Tiger Woods drops out of top 50 for first time in 3 years

The Sports Xchange

10 years ago

Jan 30, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Tiger Woods reacts after misaing his par putt on the 11th hole during the second round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. (Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic via USA TODAY Sports)

Jan 30, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Tiger Woods walks off the 15th tee box after hitting his drive into the lake during the second round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. (Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic via USA TODAY Sports)

Jan 30, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Tiger Woods follows his drive on the 17th hole during the second round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. (Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic via USA TODAY Sports)

Jan 30, 2015; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Tiger Woods blasts out of a greenside bunker on the 18th hole during the second round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. (Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic via USA TODAY Sports)

Tiger Woods, who shot his worst round ever as a pro Friday, has dropped out of the top 50 in the world golf ranking for the first time in three years.

Woods, his game sliding from bad to worse, shot an 11-over 82 and failed to make the cut at the Phoenix Open. He made six bogeys, two double bogeys and a triple bogey.

At 13-over 155, Woods missed a second straight cut (2014 PGA Championship) for the second time in his career. He has now missed three cuts in eight starts, dating to the start of the 2013-14 PGA Tour season. In 79 starts from 2008-2013, he missed six cuts.

If Woods doesn’t turn his game around, he will be ineligible for a World Golf Championship for only the second time.

Woods, who was No. 1 in the world last May, missed most of last year recovering from back surgery. He came to the Phoenix Open ranked No. 47.

Woods is scheduled to play Torrey Pines next week and the Honda Classic two weeks later. He must be in the top 50 after the Honda Classic to be eligible for the WGC event at Doral.

Woods, who turned 39 on Dec. 30, is three victories short of Sam Snead’s record of 82 PGA Tour victories and four shy of Jack Nicklaus’ mark of 18 major titles. Woods has not won a Grand Slam event since the 2008 U.S. Open.