Tiger Woods plays first 18-hole practice round before a major this year

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — After Tiger Woods ripped his tee shot down the 18th fairway during a practice round at the Old Course at St. Andrews on Sunday, Justin Thomas followed his ball in the air and said, “Oooh!”

When Woods’ ball bounded down the sun-baked fairway and bounced high onto the green, Thomas added, “Boing!”

Woods, a two-time winner of The Open at St. Andrews (2000 and 2005), ended up driving the green, leaving an eagle putt short and tapping in for his third birdie of the round. He also had birdies on the par-4 seventh and par-3 eighth, on which he stuck his tee shot to about 5 feet.

It was an encouraging start for Woods, five days before the start of the 150th Open Championship.

It was the first time this year that Woods played a full 18-hole practice round before a major. At the Masters in April and the PGA Championship in May, Woods played nine-hole practice rounds leading up to the tournaments to preserve his strength. Woods and Thomas also walked 18 holes Saturday night, chipping and putting along the way. They were on the course until shortly after 10:30 p.m. local time.

Woods, a 15-time major champion, declined to talk with reporters after Sunday’s practice round. He is scheduled to talk to the media on Monday and Tuesday.

“He was struggling early, but came on as the day went on,” Woods’ caddie, Joe LaCava, told ESPN. “That’s encouraging.”

If nothing else, Woods seemed to be having a lot of fun before what might be his final start in The Open at St. Andrews. He has won the event three times; he also won at Royal Liverpool in 2006.

On the demanding par-4 17th hole, famously known as the Road Hole, Thomas hit his tee shot high and right toward the Old Course Hotel.

“Hit a window!” Thomas yelled, before his ball bounced into the lawn in front of the hotel.

Woods took the same aggressive…