Tiger Woods: Solid Effort Will Ultimately Be Spoiled at British Open

Tiger Woods was once the most dominant athlete not just in the golf, but in the world of sports as a whole. 

Tiger won 14 major tournaments in a 12-year span and became one of the most recognizable faces in the world. He seemed to have a realistic shot at surpassing Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major wins, but a decline has hindered his efforts. 

His well-publicized infidelity scandal immediately turned one of the most likable professional athletes into a highly-criticized figure almost overnight. The incident was key to his downfall, and it forced a drought that has kept him from winning a major for nearly four years. 

Some dared to believe that the drought was nearing an end as the weekend arrived.

Tiger shot a score of 67 in back-to-back rounds to keep himself relevant and peaked at No. 2 on the leader's board during Saturday's action. However, his overall performance on Saturday put a damper on his hopes after he shot a 70, making it his worst round of the tournament. 

Overall, Tiger is currently at six-under par and is sitting at No. 4, trailing Brandt Snedeker and Graeme McDowell (tied for second at seven-under), as well as Adam Scott (first place at 11-under). 

Tiger's Sunday Outlook

Tiger isn't falling apart at the British Open by any means. He'll finish with a solid ranking, and it will be his best performance at a major this year. 

However, since Adam Scott is playing at an unbelievable level, there's a decent chance that Tiger will have to wait a little longer before finalizing his comeback with a major victory. 

If Scott experiences a meltdown, which is a possibility, then the tournament is wide open for any of the top five players. But if Scott can maintain his composure, then no one stands a chance. 

The only thing Tiger can do is show up on Sunday and put together his best round of the tournament. If he does that, he could potentially pull off an upset. But at this point, it's looking as though a solid tournament appearance on Tiger's part will be spoiled. 

Tune in for the final round of the tournament on Sunday, July 22. Television coverage begins at 6:00 a.m. ET on ESPN.