Tiger Woods believes the Open Championship provides his best opportunity to claim a 15th major. A decade has passed since Woods last won any of golf’s marquee events – in that instance, the US Open – with subsequent struggles largely linked to injury.
Speaking at Carnoustie on Tuesday, ahead of his 20th Open appearance, Woods initially smiled when asked whether this tournament offers his biggest major chance. “Not to be smart, but it is the next major I’m playing,” said the 42-year-old, before taking matters more seriously.
“As far as long term, certainly, I would say yes because of the fact that you don’t have to be young to play on a links style golf course. Look what Tom [Watson] did at Turnberry at 59. So it’s possible. Greg Norman was there at Birkdale [in 2008] at I think about 54-ish, somewhere around there 53, 54. It certainly can be done.
“You get to places like Augusta National where it’s just a big ballpark and the golf course outgrows you, unfortunately. That’s just the way it goes. But links-style golf course, you can roll the ball. I hit a three-iron that went to 330 yards out here. Even if I get a little bit older, I can still chase some wood or long club down there and hit the ball the same distance.
“So distance becomes a moot point on a links-style course. But creativity plays such an important role, and you’ve got guys like Tom playing late in his career, doing well. There’s a reason why he won five of these – very creative and hit all the shots.”
Woods, a three-times Open winner, hasn’t featured in golf’s oldest major since 2015. His last and fourth back surgery had triggered inner doubts over whether he would return to a competitive environment.
“There were definitely points in time that I certainly thought I’d never play in this championship again,” he admitted. “It’s great seeing it on TV, but it’s even better in person. I remember how it feels to come down to the last hole with a chance to win it. And knowing that I may never have that opportunity again, there were some times in there where I just didn’t feel very good.
“But now to have the opportunity to come back to Carnoustie to play here in Scotland again, I’ve said this before throughout this year, it’s been a blessing. There were some times where I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do this again, and – lo and behold – here I am playing my third major of the year. I’ve progressed throughout the year and had some nice little momentum things, building blocks, which is positive.
“Each tournament I keep coming back to, I keep feeling a little bit better because I’m starting to play some golf again. My feels are much better than they were at the beginning of the year and I feel like I have a better understanding of my game and my body and my swing.
“That’s just going to come with a little bit more experience and I think that I’ve made a few adjustments. I’ve changed putters. I’ve tweaked my swing a little bit and everything’s gotten just a little bit better. I’ve put myself up there in contention a couple times. I just need to play some cleaner golf and who knows?”
Course strategy has been at the forefront of early Open week discussion. Rory McIlroy has been candid about the fact he plans to use a series of drivers from tees, a policy not likely to be followed by Woods. In 2006 Woods famously won the Open at Hoylake – where scorched conditions were similar to Carnoustie now – while using his driver only once in four rounds.
“There’s not a lot of opportunities to hit the driver just because the ball is going to be rolling 80 yards,” Woods said. “It’s just hard to keep the ball in play. Even hitting sometimes four and five irons, they’ve been running 50, 60 yards.”
Woods has a special affiliation with Carnoustie, having visited for the first time as an amateur for the 1995 Scottish Open. He recalls that experience well. “It was one of the cooler things, just standing on that range and hitting the ball to the 100-yard sign. I was hitting nine-irons and four-irons and five-irons, just having a blast trying to hit the sign.
“I hadn’t been able to do that before. I had never played links golf. This was my first time. I remember my dad on the range with me saying: ‘Are you ever going to hit the ball past the 100 yard sign?” And I said: ‘No, I’m just enjoying this. Are you kidding me? This is the best.’ So I spent probably about close to two hours on the range just hitting balls before I even went and played because I thought it was just the best, seeing the ball bounce and being creative and using my mind.
“I grew up in Southern California where it’s kikuyu grass; nothing rolls. So everything’s vertical. So to come here and I remember going down No 2, I was about probably close to 120 yards out and bringing out my putter and putting it – I’d never done that before. That was one of the cooler moments. It stuck with me.”
