A legend of the game? Without question. Past his best? Well, we all know the answer to that. Ready to pack it in? A resounding no, it seems.
Tiger Woods insists he plans to return to major golf again next year, after failing to make the weekend at The Open. The 48-year-old finished 14 over par after shooting a six-over 77 on his second round at Royal Troon.
A course where he’s much-revered – in fairness, there aren’t many places in Scotland where the crowds wouldn’t cheer him on with all their might given he’s won two Open Championships on these shores – Woods just never looked like doing anything in Ayrshire.
Thursday’s weather was a challenge for all the players. The Americans notoriously struggle with links golf, though. High winds and wet conditions made it a tough battle for Woods as he had to make do with an opening day 79.
There were no such excuses on Friday, though, with the weather improving as play roared on.
Many within the sport, including Colin Montgomerie, have voiced their views that Woods should retire rather than continue to play in the competitions involving today’s elite golfers. If you haven’t heard Woods’ ‘I’m eligible until I’m 60 as a former champion’ response, then where have you been?
He has only made 11 competitive starts since a car crash in February 2021 that left him with career-threatening injuries. Speaking a short while after the conclusion of his time at Troon, this won’t be his last, contrary to the opinion of plenty involved in golf.
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“Well, it wasn't very good,” Woods said of his second round. “I made a double there at two right out of the hopper when I needed to go the other way. Just was fighting it pretty much all day. I never really hit it close enough to make birdies and consequently made a lot of bogeys.
“I'd like to have played more, but I just wanted to make sure that I was able to play the major championships this year. I got a lot of time off to get better, to be better physically, which has been the case all year.
“I've gotten better, even though my results really haven't shown it, but physically I've gotten better, which is great. I just need to keep progressing like that and then eventually start playing more competitively and start getting into kind of the competitive flow again.”
Now, Woods isn’t scheduled to play competitively again until December in the Bahamas. It’s time for another extended break from the game.
He added: “I'm not going to play until then. I'm going to just keep getting physically better and keep working on it. Hopefully just come back for our - what is it, our fifth major, the Father/Son, so looking forward to it.
Asked if this bruising experience on the course was off-putting for him, Woods was defiant, stating: “No, I loved it. I've always loved playing major championships. I just wish I was more physically sharp coming into the majors. Obviously it tests you mentally, physically, emotionally, and I just wasn't as sharp as I needed to be. I was hoping that I would find it somehow, just never did. Consequently, my results and scores were pretty high.
“I've missed playing Troon. It's been a long time. I remember playing here way back in '97. I've had some good memories here. I just wish I'd done a little bit better and looking forward to it.”
The Herald’s coverage of The 152nd Open at Royal Troon is brought to you in association with Fairmont St. Andrews.
