It is nothing other than guesswork to suggest Tiger Woods will bid farewell to the Open in the coming week. Even the man himself seems unsure about the extent to which he can compete with a body that has endured far more turmoil than is natural within 46 and a half years. Still, the standard five-year gap between St Andrews Opens means it is legitimate to believe this may be his farewell to the home of golf.
The focus placed by Woods on taking his place in this 150th staging of the major looked to be with a bigger picture in mind. He was not in strong enough physical condition to play in last month’s US Open but there was never any prospect of him skipping the final major of 2022.
