Tiger Woods Remains Confident in His Ability to Win Ahead of The Open at Royal Troon Despite Recent Injuries and Missed Cuts
Fiona Nanna, ForeMedia News
4 minutes read. Updated 12:37PM GMT Wed, 17July, 2024
Tiger Woods declared his intent to remain competitive in golf as long as he believes he can win. This announcement comes ahead of The Open at Royal Troon, where Woods aims to make a triumphant return to the course after a 20-year hiatus.
Last week, Colin Montgomerie, a celebrated golfer with 31 European Tour victories, remarked in an interview with The Times that Woods, now 48, appeared to find little joy in his performance during the US Open at Pinehurst last month. Woods missed the cut by two strokes, a setback for the 15-time major champion. However, Woods remains undeterred in his quest for victory.
“I’ll play as long as I can play and I feel like I can still win the event,” Woods asserted to reporters on Tuesday, ahead of The Open.
Addressing Montgomerie’s comments, Woods highlighted his exemption status as a past champion, which allows him to compete until the age of 60. “Well, as a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60. Colin’s not. He’s not a past champion, so he’s not exempt. So he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do,” Woods remarked.
Montgomerie later took to social media platform X to clarify his statements. “If golf writers want my thoughts on Tiger, please ask me directly, rather than taking a quote from an interview out of context. Wishing Tiger an enjoyable and successful week,” Montgomerie posted.
Woods has been playing on a limited schedule in recent years due to multiple injuries. His return to Royal Troon is significant, as he last played there two decades ago. He previously won The Open in 2000, 2005, and 2006, showcasing his exceptional talent and enduring passion for the sport.
Reflecting on his past experiences at Royal Troon, Woods said, “I’ve always loved playing here. I’ve only played here twice. I played in ’97 and in ’04. I loved them both. I got a chance to play with Tom Weiskopf in his last practice round.”
Woods fondly recalled the camaraderie and shared insights with Weiskopf during their practice rounds. “That was neat for him to take me back to some of his holes and how he played them, and I obviously gave him some stick, and he’s giving me stick, like we always do. We had a wonderful time playing just a wonderful practice round,” Woods shared.
As Woods prepares for The Open, fans and golf enthusiasts around the world eagerly await to see if he can add another major victory to his illustrious career.
