AUGUSTA: Tiger Woods kept one eye on history and another on his recovery as he more or less confirmed that he will be back for the 150th Open Championship from July 14. And possibly the PGA Championships, too, next month.
Speaking to Sky Sports after his final round in which he shot a second straight 78 to finish 47th, Woods said, “I won’t be playing a full schedule ever again. It’ll be just the big events. I don’t know if I’ll be able to play (the PGA Championship) at Southern Hills or not, but I am looking forward to St. Andrews. That is something that is near and dear to my heart. You know, I’ve won two Opens there, it’s the home of golf, it’s my favourite golf course.”
There was no mention of any plans for the US Open (June 16-19). St. Andrews has a special place in Woods heart as he won his first Open at St. Andrews in 2000 to complete the career Grand Slam and won again in 2005. Woods has also won at Southern Hills - the 2007 PGA Championship.
Working on a new swing to suit his body, which is full of metal pins and screws as he recovers from the injuries he suffered at a car accident in February 2021, this week was his first ‘proper’ outing since the 2020 November Masters. Speaking of the time during the recovery, Woods said, “It’s hard. It’s hard. I have those days where I just don’t want to do anything but... I’ve had a great team that is super positive and have motivated me.” And that in turn has gladdened the heart of golf fans around the world.
