Tiger Woods Confirms He Will Play in 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews
Apr 10, 2022
Tiger Woods tips his cap on the 18th green during the final round at the Masters golf tournament on Sunday, April 10, 2022, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Tiger Woods' comeback story will include at least one more major championship appearance this year.
After completing his fourth and final round at the Masters, the all-time great told Cara Banks of Sky Sports Golf that he plans on playing The Open Championship in July at St. Andrews. He also said he will attempt to play in the PGA Championship in May but is not 100 percent sure if he will at this point.
Tiger Woods confirms that he WILL play at The Open in July, but is unsure if he'll take part in the PGA Championship in May ⛳pic.twitter.com/oq75rNuiDm
That Woods even competed, let alone finished four rounds at Augusta National, is frankly incredible.
After all, he suffered serious leg injuries in a single-car crash in February 2021 that required surgery. It reached a point where he even said amputation was considered as an option.
Yet Woods returned in time for the Masters in his first official PGA Tour event since November 2020 and dazzled the crowd with a one-under 71 in the first round. He looked like the old Tiger for stretches of that first round and was suddenly near the top of the leaderboard competing again just like he seemingly always was in his prime.
He was still within relative striking distance after shooting a two-over 74 on Friday, but he shot 78 in back-to-back rounds to end his tournament at 13 over.
Woods' limp was more noticeable as the tournament continued, but it was an accomplishment in itself to even finish the four rounds. The patrons gave him an extended standing ovation after he put home his final putt and walked off the 18th green.
Many of the 15-time major champion's greatest career achievements have occurred at the Masters.
He has five green jackets and 14 top-10 finishes at the famed tournament and trails only Jack Nicklaus (six) for the most Masters titles in history. This year's showing will be memorable for a different reason, and he will look to build on it in at least The Open Championship later this year.
Tiger Woods Says Playing 72 Holes at Masters After Leg Injury Felt 'Unbelievable'
Apr 10, 2022
Tiger Woods tips his cap on the 18th green during the final round at the Masters golf tournament on Sunday, April 10, 2022, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Tiger Woods played all 72 holes in the 2022 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, finishing up at 13 over par. It was his first major tournament since suffering significant leg injuries in a February 2021 car crash.
After finishing up on Sunday afternoon, Woods told Amanda Balionis on CBS that it felt great to get back out on the course despite not playing his best:
It was an unbelievable feeling just to have the patrons and the support out there. I wasn't exactly playing my best out there. ... I don't think words can really describe that given where I was a little over a year ago and what my prospects were at that time. To end up here and be able to play all four rounds—even a month ago, I didn't know if I could pull this off. I think it was a positive. I've got some work to do, and I'm looking forward to it.
Woods, a five-time winner of the green jacket, was one-under through the first three holes of the fourth round, but mistakes began adding up for the 46-year-old on the fourth hole.
Woods hit three straight bogeys on holes four through six before adding two more bogeys on holes 11 and 14 to move to four over on the day. An upsetting double bogey on hole 17 put him at six over for the round.
Entering Augusta National, Woods' status was in question, but after he participated in practice alongside Fred Couples and Justin Thomas, there was no doubt he would compete. Couples even told reporters after their practice round that Woods "looked phenomenal" and that he could contend for another green jacket.
Woods also said before the Masters that he believed he could win despite not participating in a major tournament since his car crash, and while he came up short, his return to the course is an accomplishment on its own.
After the Masters, Woods confirmed he wouldn't play a full schedule again. However, fans will have a lot to look forward to this summer as Woods confirmed he would compete in the major events, including The Open Championship at St. Andrews this summer.
"I won't be playing a full schedule ever again," Woods said. "And so, it'll be just the big events. I don't know if I will play Southern Hills or not, but I am looking forward to St. Andrews, and so that is something that is near and dear to my heart."
Woods added: "... It's my favorite golf course in the world, so I will be there for that one, but anything in between that, I don't know. I will try, and there's no doubt. This week I will try and get ready for Southern Hills, and we'll see what this body is able to do."
Tiger Woods Shoots 6 Over in Final Round of 2022 Masters, Finishes 13 Over Par
Apr 10, 2022
Tiger Woods tips his cap on the 18th hole during the final round at the Masters golf tournament on Sunday, April 10, 2022, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Tiger Woods had an incredible start to the Masters tournament in Augusta, Georgia, on Thursday, shooting an opening-round 71, which put him one under for the day.
His finish, unfortunately, wasn't nearly as memorable.
Woods shot a six-over 78 in Sunday's final round, the third straight round he exceeded par. That left him at 13 over for the tournament.
Of course, Woods' struggles in the later rounds could hardly be considered a surprise, being that it was the first tournament he's played since the November 2020 Masters.
The biggest story of this tournament has been the return of Woods, without question, and the fact that he made the cut and played the full 72 holes despite being in obvious pain throughout the past four days was a major achievement.
This was really, really cool.
A few months ago, Tiger talked about how much he missed the feeling of crisp golf shots. About how he laid in the grass just to be outside.
Now he's walking off Augusta having completed 72 holes at The Masters. And soaking it up. Very cool. pic.twitter.com/imPEwHo33C
I think he will because in his mind he still thinks he can catch Jack. Pain won’t stop him from competing. He won the 2008 US Open on a broken leg with a torn ACL and needed 91 holes to do it. https://t.co/Cu0jwxtMyv
"Never give up," Woods told reporters Saturday when asked what type of message he was hoping to send with his Masters appearance. "... I fight each and every day. Each and every day is a challenge. Each and every day presents its own different challenges for all of us. I wake up and start the fight all over again."
Woods didn't give up, though the final round got away from him. After starting with a par on No. 1 and a birdie on No. 2, Woods had three straight bogeys on Nos. 4-6. He stabilized until the back nine, when bogeys on Nos. 11 and 14—and a double bogey on the 17th—ended his final round in tough fashion.
It was a rough weekend in general. Woods came into the third round at one over but promptly shot consecutive 78s.
But having Woods back in action was good for the sport and a good experience for the veteran golfer. Woods also confirmed that he's gunning to play July's Open Championship, another bit of good news:
"It was an unbelievable feeling, just to have the patrons and the support out there," he said in his television interview on CBS after his final round. "I obviously wasn't playing my best out there ... I don't know if words can really describe where I was a year ago and what my prospects were at that time. Even a month ago I didn't know if I could pull this off. I think it was a positive. I got some work to do, [and] I'm looking forward to it."
Tiger Woods' Irons Used to Win 4 Majors in a Row Sell at Auction for Record $5.1M
Apr 10, 2022
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 09: Tiger Woods plays his shot from the 12th tee during the third round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 09, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
An iron set that Tiger Woods used to win four major tournaments in a row from 2000 to 2001 sold at auction for a record $5.1 million through Golden Age Auctions, according to ESPN's Tom VanHaaren.
The Titleist 681-T iron set is now the highest selling piece of golf memorabilia, according to VanHaaren, passing Horton Smith's green jacket that previously sold for $682,000 in 2013.
The seller of the Woods' iron set, Todd Brock, bought them from former Titleist vice president of player promotions Steve Mata in 2010 for just $57,242. Brock said, according to VanHaaren:
I've had them for 12 years now, and I haven't told anybody that I owned them. They were in a really nice frame in my office and I'm not an investor in memorabilia, so nobody was seeing the irons. I've had the opportunity to see these for 12 years and it's like a Rembrandt, where somebody takes it to their castle and it's never seen again. I felt blessed that I got to hang out with them and look at them, but it's time for somebody else to do something bigger and better with them.
Woods is competing in his first major tournament since suffering significant injuries to his right leg in a February 2021 car crash. The 46-year-old is currently tied for 41st in the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.
Masters 2022: Scottie Scheffler Tops Leaderboard by 3 Strokes Entering Final Round
Apr 9, 2022
Scottie Scheffler chips to the second hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament on Saturday, April 9, 2022, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Scottie Scheffler is 18 holes away from winning his first career major tournament.
The 25-year-old ended the third round at the Masters with a 71, bringing his 54-hole score to nine under par.
After being tied for third place at the end of Thursday, Scheffler has finished atop the standings in each of the past two days. His first birdie Saturday came on the par-five second hole.
Scheffler extended his lead to six shots with another birdie on No. 3. He did give a shot back with a bogey on the fourth hole, ending his streak of bogey-free holes at 19 dating back to No. 3 on Friday.
Scottie Scheffler looks like he’s playing a different course, or a different game, from everybody else. #Masters
The bogey certainly did nothing to change Scheffler's approach the rest of the day. He added two more birdies on the front nine to make the turn at 11 under.
Scheffler did try to make things interesting with back-to-back bogeys on 14 and 15 to fall back to single digits under par. He would go birdie-bogey over the final two holes to stay at nine under par overall.
I like Scottie Scheffler but he’s ruining my weekend
Much has already been made of Scheffler's rapid ascent to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking. He didn't win his first PGA Tour event until February at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, but he's added two more titles since then.
With a win in this match, Scottie Scheffler would reach world no. 1 just 42 days after his first PGA or DP World Tour win.
Shortest gap between those 2 things happening all-time is Tiger Woods, 252 days. David Duval 2nd at 532 days.
"I’ve prepared for a long time to be in moments like this and to win golf tournaments," Scheffler told reporters after the second round. "And like I said at the beginning of the week, I've done all the preparation I can do. And if I win this golf tournament, then great; and if I don't, that's OK, too, because I did everything I could and I'm prepared and the rest isn't up to me."
After finishing tied for 18th at the 2021 Masters, Scheffler posted top-10 finishes in each of the final three major tournaments last year.
Tiger Woods had his second consecutive rough outing after a promising start in the first round. The five-time Masters champion is seven over par after a 78on Saturday. He did have one of the best shots on the day with a near-eagle out of the bunker on the par-five second hole.
The fifth hole is when things really started to get out of hand for Woods. He four-putted after getting on the green in two shots. Two of his missed two putts were from inside of six feet, resulting in a double bogey.
Another bogey on nine left Woods at three over par when he made the turn. The 46-year-old got back on track briefly with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 12 and 13.
The wheels fell off for Woods down the home stretch. He closed the round with consecutive bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 and a double bogey on No. 18.
Putting has been the biggest issue for Woods in the past two rounds, but it was especially problematic Saturday. He averaged two putts per hole, including the four-putt on five and four three-putts.
In the cold, the greatest clutch putter ever had no feel Augusta's putting-on-glass greens. 4 3-putts and a 4-putt. So: 71-74-78. Yet: IT IS ASTONISHING THAT TIGER WOODS IS MERELY PLAYING, LET ALONE PLAYING PRETTY WELL, AT THIS YEAR'S MASTERS. CONGRATS, MAN.
"I was hitting too many putts," Woods told CBS Sports' Amanda Balionis Renner after his round. "... I think I had four three-putts and a four-putt. Honestly, I didn't really feel like I hit it all that bad. I just had absolutely zero feel for the greens, and it showed."
The rest of Woods' game looks to be fine. He had his highest percentage of fairways hit (79) and greens in regulation (61) of the tournament on Saturday.
If Woods can get his short game on track in the final round, he can finish strong and build some positive momentum as he looks ahead to whatever his next event will be.
Cameron Smith finds himself in second place after posting the lowest score of the third round. The Australian shot a 68on Saturday, dropping his 54-hole total to six under par.
Smith briefly got within three strokes of Scheffler during his run of three birdies in four holes from Nos. 12 to 15.
Smith gave another shot back with his first bogey of the day on No. 16. He would make par on his final two holes to stay at six under heading into the final round.
Sungjae Im (-4), Charl Schwartzel (-2) and Shane Lowry (-2) are on Smith's heels for the second spot on the leaderboard. Schwartzel at one point got to six under par, but he couldn't stay at that level because of four bogeys over his final eight holes.
Nobody played a perfect round Saturday, keeping the door ajar for some potential fireworks in the final round. Scheffler is still comfortably in the driver's seat to win, but his margin of error got smaller with his struggles on the back nine.
Tiger Woods Says He Had 'Zero Feel' for Greens After Shooting 78 in Masters Round 3
Apr 9, 2022
Tiger Woods reacts after missing a birdie putt on the eighth green during the third round at the Masters golf tournament on Saturday, April 9, 2022, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Putting woes resulted in Tiger Woods posting the worst single-round score of his career at the Masters on Saturday.
After finishing with a six-over par 78 in the third round, Woods told CBS Sports' Amanda Balionis Renner he had "zero feel" for the greens.
“Well, I was hitting too many putts.”
Tiger Woods talks about his third round, what it’ll take for him to consider the week a success, and his group text with Justin Thomas with @Amanda_Balionis. pic.twitter.com/qryMVmTV56
"I was hitting too many putts,” Woods explained. "I think I had four three-putts and a four-putt. Honestly, I didn’t really feel like I hit it all that bad. I just had absolutely zero feel for the greens, and it showed."
Woods had issues with his putter right out of the gate. He needed three putts on the first hole to start his day with a bogey.
The second hole was a nice rebound for Woods. The five-time Masters champion nearly hit an eagle of the bunker in front of the green, but he had to settle for a three-foot birdie putt.
It was on No. 5 when things completely fell apart for Woods on the green. He missed two putts from within six feet and hit a total of four putts to card a double-bogey on the par four.
By the time the round was over, Woods had a four-putt and four three-putts on his scorecard.
That's now four 3-putts and a 4-putt for Tiger. Rough scene.
Per the Masters' website, Woods averaged two putts per hole on Saturday. He didn't have a three-put in each of the first two rounds.
Putting was the only significant problem for Woods in the third round. The 46-year-old hit 11 of 14 fairways and was 11-of-18 in greens in regulation. Both were his highest single-round totals through three rounds at Augusta National.
Prior to Saturday, Woods' worst single-round score at the Masters was in 2012 (75 in the second round). He will enter the final round on Sunday at seven-over par.
Even though Woods felt he had a chance to win this tournament earlier in the week, the fact he was able to post one round under par (71 on Thursday) and make the cut is a huge victory considering he hadn't played an official event since November 2020.
The comeback process was always likely to take some time. Woods will be able to assess where his game is at now and work on ways he can improve as he prepares for future events.
Tiger Woods Slides Down Leaderboard with 3rd-Round 78 at 2022 Masters
Apr 9, 2022
Tiger Woods waves after a birdie putt on the second hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament on Saturday, April 9, 2022, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Tiger Woods shot a six-over 78 in the third round of the Masters Tournament on Saturday from Augusta National Golf Club.
Woods made his return to professional golf this weekend after suffering serious right leg injuries in a one-car crash in February 2021. He hadn't made a professional start in 508 days before teeing off Thursday.
Saturday was a struggle at times, as Woods' walk on the golf course appeared to be more strenuous than Thursday and Friday.
There's a golfer legitimately using his driver as a cane to walk the field of play at the most prestigious golf tournament in the world, and he's beating almost the entire field. Normal sport. pic.twitter.com/zXBMw9Xn2s
CBS Sports' Dottie Pepper noted during the televised broadcast that Woods appeared to be "laboring a little more to walk," although she said the "golf part was coming back."
The cold, windy and dreary day in Augusta probably didn't help Woods. Plus, he is also just 15 months removed from his fifth back surgery, which occurred the month prior to the crash.
Per Dan Rapoport of Golf Digest, it was a "microdiscectomy procedure on his back to remove a pressurized disc fragment that was pinching a nerve."
His 2021 season was already on hold because of it, but then Woods didn't even know if he'd walk again after the crash. A leg amputation was also a possibility.
The fact that the 46-year-old Woods is even out there walking the course, making the cut and competing with the best in the world is remarkable enough. Other golf stars didn't make the weekend (e.g., Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth and Bryson DeChambeau), but Woods made it through and appears ready to finish all four rounds.
As for Woods' third-round performance, it started with a bogey on No. 1 before he orchestrated a birdie on the par-five second. He nearly made eagle out of the greenside bunker before settling for the birdie to move back to one over.
Woods struggled down the stretch, though, with a pair of bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 before a double on the last. He finished the day at six over for the round and seven over for the tournament.
Woods may be out of contention, but the rest of the field minus Scottie Scheffler may also be because of the World No. 1 golfer's dominant performance this weekend.
However, Woods' ability to compete is impressive enough, and he'll look to finish his Masters performance strong on Sunday.
Win or Not, Tiger Woods' 2022 Masters Performance Proves He Can Still Compete
Apr 8, 2022
Tiger Woods takes the head cover off of his driver on the 11th tee during the second round at the Masters golf tournament on Friday, April 8, 2022, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
He won't shoot the lowest score.
And he won't slide the green jacket on outside Butler Cabin.
But make no mistake, golf fans. Tiger Woods has won the Masters.
Already.
Oh, sure, it may be someone else basking in the glow of a Jim Nantz interview come Sunday evening at Augusta National, but this tournament was over just past 11 a.m. ET on Thursday when the greatest talent in the game's history stepped to the first tee and ripped a drive a few steps short of a fairway bunker.
The roar that erupted minutes later when he drained a 12-footer to save par was a fitting mic drop.
It was a red-shirt flashback from a man in a hot-pink turtleneck.
And before we get much further, let's make sure we get the vocabulary correct.
Don't call it a comeback. This is a full-on sports miracle.
Lest anyone think that's a label that ought to be reserved only for Al Michaels in the Olympics or any time the New York Mets are relevant in October, let's look at the facts.
The guy hadn't hit a competitive shot in 508 days—which is nearly 10 years in dog time and probably close to that when referring to a golfer plenty old enough to have sired the current No. 1 player.
But he hadn't spent those days since November 2020 merely lounging near the Florida coast.
Tiger Woods winces in pain as he follows thru on his shot from the 15th tee, in the third round of the 108th U.S. Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California on June 14, 2008. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read
Rather, he ended that year with a microdiscectomy, which is a back surgery that involves removal of "a portion of the intervertebral disc, the herniated or protruding portion that is compressing the traversing spinal nerve root," according to USCSpine.com.
It was Woods' fourth such procedure.
The first three came prior to spinal fusion surgery in 2017.
Oh, spinal fusion surgery, you ask?
That's just a "welding process," according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, that "fuse[s] together two or more vertebrae so that they heal into a single, solid bone," with a goal "to eliminate painful motion or to restore stability to the spine."
The idea a middle-aged man could get out of bed to make a sandwich after all that, let alone compete with relevance at a course most can't handle on a video game, would be enough for lofty praise.
But there's more.
In February 2021, Woods was in a single car-crash in which he suffered fractures to his right tibia and fibula. According to Gavin Newsham of the New York Post, surgeons considered amputating his leg, while the Los Angeles Sheriff Department said he was "fortunate to be alive."
Still, if you're not one to genuflect simply for cheating mortality and playing hurt, we understand.
In that case, we'll just focus on the fact that he'll begin the weekend within nine strokes of leader Scottie Scheffler as all but a smidge of the 972 players ranked ahead of him—including heavy-hitting frenemies Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau—will be watching on CBS.
He's 46 years old, by the way. Which means Koepka and DeChambeau were six and three, respectively, when he won his first jacket in 1997.
They have five majors between them and zero at Augusta. By the time Woods was Koepka's age (31), he'd won four Masters and created the still-unparalleled Tiger Slam.
In other words, the resume-comparison game is already a no-contest.
A one-under 71 on Thursday gave way to a two-over 74 on Friday, with his second round on the verge of implosion after four bogeys in the first five holes. But he got one back at No. 8, saved a vital par with a knee-knocking five-foot putt at No. 9 and then hit a brilliant approach within two feet for another birdie at No. 10.
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 08: Fans look on as Tiger Woods putts on the 15th green during the second round of The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 08, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Augusta's patrons responded with another roar.
The kind only legends warrant.
"Just look at the reception," broadcaster Michael Breed said on the Featured Groups livestream at Masters.com. "It's an appreciation not just for what he's doing today or yesterday but for what he's done for years—and for years here at Augusta National.
"We forget just how incredible it is that he's here. Think of what he went through and how he's rehabbed. He's worked as we know he can work, and now they're following him at Augusta National."
The aura of his favorite major helped Woods sharpen his focus enough to reach the first tee after 17 months on the sidelines, and it's hardly a reach to suggest—with roughly another month of recovery time—that he'd at least be within range of serious contention at the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he won the Wanamaker Trophy by two shots in 2007.
He earned a pair of points in the 1999 Ryder Cup at Brookline, Massachusetts, which is the site of this year's U.S. Open in mid-June. And he won the Open Championship twice (2000, 2005) when it was at St. Andrews, where this year's event will take place from July 14 to 17.
So, prospects for a summer of allegiance at least seem promising based on past performance.
And even with Tiger at 40-1, 50-1 and 40-1, respectively, at DraftKings, who'd be willing to bet that he's done creating miracles—even with a leg held together by rods, plates, and screws?
"He's Tiger Woods, so I'm not worried about watching him hit a ball ever because he's the best player I've ever seen play," Fred Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, told CNN. "He's won so many times, and he's just not a guy to go do something mediocre.
"He'll compete, and he'll be ready to roll."
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Tiger Woods was the talk of Augusta National Golf Club before a hole was even played at the 2022 Masters...
Tiger Woods Praises 'Electric' Crowd in Return from Leg Injury at Masters
Apr 8, 2022
Tiger Woods acknowledges applause on the 18th green after finishing the first round at the Masters golf tournament on Thursday, April 7, 2022, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
After shooting one under in the first round of the Masters on Thursday, Tiger Woods praised the crowd at Augusta National for its energy and enthusiasm.
"That's something I'm very lucky to have this opportunity to be able to play, and not only that, to play in the Masters and to have this type of reception," Woods said after the round, per ESPN's Mark Schlabach. "I mean, the place was electric."
It was Woods' first time back on the green since his car accident two years ago that caused severe damage to his leg. The 46-year-old recorded three birdies and two bogeys on the day.
Woods attributed his solid play to the experience of being back in front of a full crowd for the first time in a while.
"I hadn't played like this since '19, when I won, because in '20 we had COVID and we had no one here, and I didn't play last year [when attendance was limited]," he said. "So to have the patrons fully out and to have that type of energy out there was awesome to feel."
Woods is among the nine players tied for 10th after the first round. He trails leader Sungjae Im (-5) by four strokes.
