Tiger Woods fully understands the physical limitations that his recent spate of injuries has caused.
Tiger Woods fully understands the physical limitations that his recent spate of injuries has caused.
So, as he prepares for the 152nd British Open Championship that begins July 18, Woods concedes it will likely be his last competitive tournament of the year.
“I’ve only got one more tournament this season,” Woods
told reporters last month at a U.S. Open press conference at Pinehurst No. 2. “So, even if I win the British Open, I don’t think I‘ll be in the playoffs. Just one more event. Then, I’ll come back whenever I come back.”
This year, Woods has managed to play in all four majors—the Masters Tournament, PGA Championship U.S. Open, and British Open—for the first time since 2019. However, he only made the cut at one of those three tournaments. He has not made the cut at the British Open since 2018, when he finished tied for sixth.
Nonetheless, Woods is one of the most decorated players in the history of golf and remains a huge attraction for fans who flock to professional golf events. Woods has 82 PGA Tour wins, tied with Sam Snead for the record for most wins in history. His major victories include five Masters Tournaments, four PGA Championships, three U.S. Open Championships, and three British Open Championships.
With his second Masters victory in 2001, Woods became the first golfer ever to hold all four professional major championships at the same time. He became the youngest to complete the career Grand Slam of professional major championships after winning the 2000 British Open at St. Andrews. He also became one of only five people to accomplish that feat, along with Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus.
Woods was also the youngest Masters champion ever, at 21 years, three months, and 14 days. He is the career victories leader among active players on the PGA Tour and the career money list leader.
However, his career was
derailed by a car accident in February 2009 after an infamous argument with his then-wife when he almost lost a part of his right leg. Since the accident, Woods has played in nine official PGA Tour events, including seven majors. He has completed 72 holes three times and has missed the cut three times with three withdrawals because of various ailments.
In April, Woods made the cut at the Masters for a record 24th consecutive time and had a 77 on the final day of the prestigious tournament. He finished in last place at 304, 16-over par—the highest 72-hole score of his career. Last year, Woods also made the cut at the U.S. Open, but he was forced to
withdraw after he had reaggravated the plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
Woods missed the cut at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky in May and at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina in June.
On Sunday, he played a practice round for this year’s British Open at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland, which is hosting the event for the 10th time overall and first since 2016.
This is the third time Woods has
competed at the Open at Royal Troon. He finished tied for 24 in his debut in 1997 and tied for ninth in 2004. He didn’t compete in the 2016 Open Championship at Royal Troon because of an injury.
Woods has spoken openly about his injuries over the years. In addition to the car accident, Woods dealt with a pair of stress fractures in his left tibia and reconstructive
surgery on his ACL in his left knee. In 2008, he had arthroscopic surgery to repair minor ligament damage in his left knee in 2019 and a fifth microdiscectomy
procedure on his back in 2019.
In 2021, Woods was involved in another single-vehicle rollover accident outside of Los Angeles and sustained injuries to his right leg and ankle. Doctors inserted a rod, screws, and pins to stabilize Woods’ injured leg.
“From my side, it really wasn’t as scary as you might think because I came out of it with all of my limbs,” Woods
told the Golf Channel in a December 2021 interview about recovering from the second car accident. “They said you will be able to walk again, maybe even run. The doctors were telling me the only issue going forward was, ‘Is your back going to hold up?’ even though my leg had a lot of different procedures done to it. But they said that’s not going to be your worry. Your worry is going to be more with your back.”
The hope for Woods is that he can remain injury-free this week and make the cut at Royal Troon Golf Club.
Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player, is the
favorite to win the tournament, followed by Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg, and Bryson DeChambeau.
In May, Scheffler
faced multiple charges, including a Class C felony charge of second-degree assault of a police officer, stemming from an incident in Louisville, Kentucky, before the second round of the PGA Championship. However, the charges were dropped, and Scheffler has continued to be a dominant player on the PGA Tour.
