Tiger Woods says final hurrah at St Andrews could be game with his son

Tiger Woods has admitted that he might have to settle for a game with his son, Charlie, as a final hurrah at St Andrews, where he won two of his three Open titles.

Tiger Woods acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green at St Andrews after missing the cut in the 150th Open in July. Picture: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.

The 15-time major champion missed the cut in the 150th Open at the Fife venue in July and, overcome with emotion after receiving an incredible reception walking up the 18th hole, admitted then that he didn’t know if he’d be back there for another appearance in the Claret Jug event.

Speaking in the Bahamas, where he is hosting the Hero World Challenge this week, Woods told The Scotsman that, with the next Open at St Andrews not likely to be until 2030, that still remains the case.

“To be honest with you, I don't know if I'll be able to make it back one more time as a player in the tournament,” said the 46-year-old. “You know, I probably will go back and play it at some point with Charlie and have a great time.

“I don't know what this leg is going to look like in eight years. Hopefully it's still attached, but we'll see. And I just don't want to go back and just say farewell. I want to win the damn thing. I mean, that's what I thought I could do this year. I was doing everything right and then all of a sudden my leg just wasn't working properly. So I had to miss the cut badly.”

That followed rounds of 78 and 75, having started with a double-bogey 6 in his opening circuit and never really recovering from that setback.

“Officially best shot I hit all year? It's hard to say,” admitted Woods, who only played a total of nine competitive rounds. “I know that the worst break I got this year, I hit a nice 4-iron right down the middle of the fairway on 1 at St. Andrews and it was in a divot!”

In an interview last weekend, Rory McIlroy spoke about how he feared that he gave Woods Covid heading into The Open after they’d spent some time together just before it at the JP McManus Invitational at Adare Manor.

“Yeah, I got tested,” said Woods of that. “I was feeling under the weather, yes, but I never got a positive test.”