Tiger Woods has made an early exit from the Open Championship, but the US golfer has vowed to be back for the 2025 major.

A second round six-over 77 at Royal Troon in Scotland on Friday improved upon an opening 79, but left the 48-year-old well short of the projected cut line for the top-70 players at 14-over par overall.

It ties the three-time Open champion’s highest ever 36-hole score of his major career, according to golf statistician Justin Ray, shot at the US Open in 2015 – the only previous season he had missed three consecutive cuts at the sport’s four flagship events.

“Just was fighting it pretty much all day,” Woods, who finished 60th at the Masters in April before failing to make the weekend at both the PGA Championship and US Open, told reporters.

“I never really hit it close enough to make birdies and consequently made a lot of bogeys.”

Signing off with par, Woods was given a standing ovation as crowds swarmed behind the ropes to get a last glimpse of him at Royal Troon, yet the 15-time major winner insisted it would not be his final Open.

Woods – who is automatically qualified for the tournament as a result of his victories in 2000, 2005 and 2006 – said he will “definitely” be returning for next year’s 153rd edition of the major at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, in what would be his 24th outing at the event.