ROYAL TROON, Scotland, July 16 – A jaded Tiger Woods arrived at Royal Troon after a sleepless flight, caused by the attempted assassination of former US president Donald Trump.
Woods watched coverage of the incident while on his flight from Florida on Saturday.
And rather than turning up fresh for a practice round on Sunday, before this week’s 152nd Open Championship at the Scottish links, the 48-year-old told BBC Sport: “I didn’t accomplish a lot because I wasn’t in the right frame of mind.
“It was a long night [because of the assassination attempt] and that’s all we watched the entire time on the way over here.
“I didn’t sleep at all on the flight, and then we just got on the golf course.”
Woods hits back at Montgomerie
Woods has the same mantra this week that he has adopted throughout his career. If he is turning up, he believes he has a chance of winning.
The statistics paint a different picture. He missed the cut at both this year’s US Open and US PGA Championship, and while he played all four rounds at the Masters, he finished in 60th – and last – place.
And since winning his 15th major at the 2019 Masters, which broke an 11-year drought in the game’s biggest events, he has either missed the cut, or withdrawn, in eight of the 13 championships he has entered. In the other five, he has not finished inside the top 20.
He has played just nine competitive rounds in 2024, yet he has still attracted the biggest crowds so far this week on the Ayrshire coast.
“I wish I had a little bit more under my belt but I’ve been battling some stuff physically,” he said.
“I want to save it for the majors. I don’t want to burn myself out pre-major and not be able to play.”
Woods, who has won all four majors at least three times, has lifetime exemptions for the US PGA Championship and Masters, and while he had to rely on an invite to play last month’s US Open, he can play The Open until he is 60.
It was a point he was keen to mention when asked about comments made by former European Tour great Colin Montgomerie last week.
The 61-year-old, who lived within a short walk of Royal Troon as a child and learned to play the game here, said: “There is a time for all sportsmen to say goodbye, but it’s very difficult to tell Tiger it’s time to go.
“Obviously, he still feels he can win. We are more realistic.”
In reply, Woods said: “Colin’s not a past champion, so he’s not exempt, so he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do.
“So when I get to his age, I get to still make that decision, where he doesn’t.
“I’ll play as long as I can play and I feel like I can still win the event.”
Asked if that belief had wavered during his struggles with injury in recent years, Woods replied: “No.”
Montgomerie has since posted a response to Woods’ comments, writing on X: “If Golf writers want my thoughts on Tiger please ask me direct, rather than taking a quote from an interview out of context. Wishing Tiger an enjoyable and successful week.”
‘A simple hole with a severe price’
Woods played his first Open as a professional at Troon in 1997, just three months after winning the first of his major titles at the Masters.
Justin Leonard came from five shots back in the final round to claim the Claret Jug. Woods had started the day eight back and still had an outside chance of challenging when he walked on to the eighth tee.
The iconic 123-yard par-three ‘Postage Stamp’ is the shortest hole on the Open rota – and could be cut to 99 yards should the weather allow – but is arguably one of the most pivotal.
It was ruinous for Woods, who buried his ball in a bunker with his first shot and walked off with a triple-bogey six.
“It’s a simple hole but it doesn’t take much of a mistake to pay a severe price,” he said.
“No matter where you hit it outside of the green, it’s not going to be an easy shot to get it back on to the green.
“It doesn’t matter which bunker you’re in, all are difficult shots just to get the ball back in play and have a putt for par, more likely make a bogey, and get out of there.”
