Former PGA Tour pro Rich Beem believes Tiger Woods has the potential to win The Open after signalling his intent to feature in Scotland this summer.
Woods, 46, suffered serious injuries from a life-threatening car crash in February 2021 and didn't play for 14 months before returning at The Masters last week. There, the 15-time major champion shocked the community by placing 47th overall, and Beem's feels his latest career adjustment could work to his advantage in his pursuit of the Claret Jug.
The 51-year-old called it "absolutely extraordinary" that Woods was even able to compete for two days, never mind make the cut and complete the tournament. He'll have another three months until The Open takes places at St. Andrews in July, and Beem wouldn't be surprised to see his old rival go all the way.
"I believe that he can win," the 2002 U.S. PGA champion wrote in a recent Sky Sports column. "What he’s going to learn about his golf game is that it’s no longer a power game, it’s more about precision and finesse, and I think that there’s a lot of room for that in major championships, whether it’s at Augusta National, St. Andrews, or at some other place going forward.
"I think just the fact that he knows how to play Augusta National, and you don’t always have to be [the] longest player to win and compete at Augusta, I think that’s a good opportunity. But if he can get his body right at St Andrews it wouldn’t shock me whatsoever to see him go out there and get in contention on Sunday."
It was feared the demanding terrain at Augusta would prove too testing for Woods, but he responded to those doubts in emphatic fashion. That's after he suffered compound fractures in both legs a little more than one year prior.
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The golf superstar has previously won Open titles in 2000, 2005 and 2006, with the first two of those victories having taken place at St. Andrews. He'll hope for further fortune at the venue later this year, having missed the cut when he last appeared in The Open three years ago.
It was clear Woods was in a lot of pain during his rounds at the Masters, which is likely the reason why he'll opt to miss the U.S. PGA Championship in May. His appearance at Augusta was just the first step in a long road back to full fitness, though the second-most decorated major-winner of all time won't reach his previous best.
All the more reason to take the tactical approach as he looks to add to his haul of trophies at such an advanced stage of his career. Woods requires three more titles to draw level with record-holder Jack Nicklaus on 18 major wins, and a return to one of his most favoured courses could be the ticket to rediscovering his winning swing.
