Woods Tunes Up With 67 in Ireland

Tiger Woods prepared for next week’s British Open by shooting a course-record five-under-par 67 at the European Club on the east coast of Ireland.

Woods played the 7,300-yard links course Friday amid tight security with David Duval, Mark O’Meara and Scott McCarron.

The Masters and U.S. Open champion called the course the perfect preparation for the British Open next week at Muirfield in Scotland.

“This is great. This links is tough and demanding and just what I needed right now,” Woods said.

At the 420-yard No. 17, Woods hit his drive into deep rough, but he hit a nine-iron on his second shot and nearly hit the pin, drawing gasps from a small gallery.

After the round, course owner Pat Ruddy conferred honorary life membership on the foursome.