Tiger Woods preparing for what could be his last British Open
Despite leg complications from a car accident he suffered in 2021, Tiger Woods is preparing to play in the 2022 Open Championship for maybe “one more run”
Tiger Woods is getting ready to get back on the course for next week’s 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews, his first appearance since the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in May. The 46-year-old legend did not play in last month’s U.S. Open to not risk his chances of playing at this historic tournament, which he has won two times before, in 2000 and 2005.
As a warm-up before the British Open, Woods competed at the JP McManus Pro-Am at Ireland’s Adare Manor Golf Club Monday and Tuesday, starting with carding a 5-over 77 in the first round of the 36-hole pro-am and then finishing the two days at 7-over, tying for 39th.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the 82-time PGA Tour winner and former World No. 1 said he wants to play at the final major championship at least “one more run” while he can.
“The plan was to play the U.S. Open, but physically I was not able to do that,” he said. “There’s no way physically I could have done that. I had some issues with my leg and it would have put this tournament in jeopardy, and so there’s no reason to do that.”
The 2022 Open Championship will begin on Thursday, July 14, and will mark the fourth consecutive year The Renaissance Club in St. Andrews hosts the championship.
When was the last time Woods played?
Woods had a car accident on Feb. 23, 2021 near Los Angeles and has suffered right-leg complications since then. He’s played in just two official tournaments, and placed 47th at the Masters in April.
In May, Woods made an appearance at the PGA Championships but had to withdraw from the event after carding a 9-over 79 in the third round.
Is this the last time Woods plays at a major golf tournament?
The California-native, who has 15 major championship victories in his professional career, second only to Jack Nicklaus who holds 18 records, admitted he doesn’t know how much longer he will be able to play competitive golf.
“I don’t know. I really don’t,” said Woods. “If you asked me last year whether I would play golf again, all of my surgeons would have said no. But here I am playing two major championships this year. I will always be able to play golf, whether it’s this leg or someone else’s leg or false leg or different body pieces that have been placed or fused. I’ll always be able to play. Now if you say play at a championship level, well, that window is definitely not as long as I would like it to be.”