Tiger Woods hasn't given hope of playing his “favourite golf course in the world” when the 150th Open Championship returns to St Andrews next July.
Woods, 45, underwent emergency surgery after a high-speed car crash in February, in which he sustained multiple leg fractures and a shattered ankle.
He was confined to a hospital bed for three months before progressing to a wheelchair and then crutches, but while his rehabilitation continues to be slow, he already has golf's most iconic tournament in his sights.
Despite admitting a full-time report to the sport is unlikely, Woods has signalled his intentions to still compete in one-off events.
Two of the American's three Open titles have come at St Andrews, in 2000 and 2005, and he's seemingly determined to win his fitness battle and feature at 'the home of golf' in 2022.
"I would love to play at St Andrews," he said,
"It's my favourite golf course in the world. To be a two-time Open champion there, just being a part of the champions dinner is really neat."
Woods, 45, was addressing reporters at his first press conference since his accident, where he promoted his Hero World Challenge tournament in the Bahamas which starts this Thursday.
And he accepted he still had a long way to go with his rehabilitation if his target of playing in Scotland is to become reality.
"I would love to be able to play that Open Championship, there's no doubt. Physically, hopefully I can," he said.
"The tournament's not going to go anywhere, but I need to get there.
"So I've got to prove to myself in practice that I'm good enough. I'll chip and putt any of these guys, but the golf courses are longer than just a chip-and-putt course.
"We're not going to be playing the par-three course at Augusta to win the Masters, so I've got to get a bigger game than that. I've got a long way to go in the rehab process to be able to do something like that."
The 15-time major winner is now back home in Florida, where he's able to continuing his recovery, and despite his restricted mobility has remained involved in the sport.
In September, he was in regular contact with Team USA players as they emphatically regained the Ryder Cup in Wisconsin, and has been cited on a golf course overseeing the play of his son, Charlie.
