Tiger Woods explains use of mysterious neck tape

Tiger Woods has moved to calm any concerns over his fitness after he played the first round of The Open with two strips of physio tape stuck to his neck. 

Woods, who battled to an even-par round of 71 to sit five shots off the lead off the early pace set by fellow American Kevin Kisner, insisted that there was no cause for alarm and that the use of the tape was merely precautionary.

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“It’s just helping me support my neck a little bit,” said the former world No.1 and 14-time major winner. “It makes me feel a little bit more comfortable.

“It’s been bugging me for a while. Everyone acts like this is the first time I’ve been bandaged up. I’ve been doing this for years. So braces and bandages, just that this time it’s actually visible.”

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Woods added that it had affected his swing “a little bit here and there” but insisted that he knew he would be okay before he stepped onto the first tee.

“As I got warmed up on the range, I felt pretty good,” he said.