While Tiger Woods may not be the player he once was, there is no question at all that any tournament which sees the 15-time major champion tee it up still feels almost as special as it did when he was at the peak of his powers.
Tiger Woods is coming towards the end of his playing career. Unfortunately, injuries – which probably would have decimated others – have taken their toll on the 48-year-old, restricting him to just a handful of appearances on the golf course in 2024.
You can never count Woods out from another miraculous comeback. But the reminder over the last few years that he is – almost – mortal has motivated golf fans to ensure that he knows just what he has meant to them every time he steps between the ropes.
And perhaps no experience seemed to get to Woods more than as he made his way up the 18th fairway on Friday at St Andrews back in 2022. Woods was set to miss the cut, and given that it may well prove to be the final time he tees it up at the Old Course, the crowds made sure to give him the best reception.
Max Homa opens up on playing alongside Tiger Woods at St Andrews in 2022
Max Homa was part of Woods’ group over the first two days. And speaking to Golf.com back in 2023, Homa explained what playing alongside Woods has been like during his career, before he picked out that day in Scotland as the best walk he has had during his career.
“I think it’s crazy in a cool way that the dude I looked up to, the reason a lot of us play golf, he made golf cool for kids; golf allows us the opportunity to play with him and compete against him, I think that’s quite odd and awesome. I don’t think I’m starstruck anymore, but it is cool whenever Tiger’s in a golf tournament, or Tiger’s in a room, just because he means so much to the game,” he said.
“Walking up 18 at St Andrews behind Tiger with Matt Fitzpatrick. I missed the cut and that part was a bummer, but just to get to watch the outpouring of admiration for a guy that we admire, like I said, I found that to be special. Watching the other players watch him play golf was cool. I don’t know, it was just eerie, I just felt it was a once in a lifetime, really cool moment at a really, really cool golf course,” he added.
When The Open Championship is likely to return to St Andrews
Woods is not someone who tends to show his emotions on the course – unless it involves roaring as he seals another victory. But he could not help but try and hide his face as he headed down probably the widest fairway in major championship golf.
It remains to be seen if Woods gets another opportunity to play at St Andrews. Between 1990 and 2015, the Old Course would host The Open every five years. However, that was changed so that the Home of Golf could host the 150th Open in 2022.
Royal Portrush will host The Open in 2025, so it may be 2030 before the event returns to St Andrews – by which time Woods will be 54 years old.
Jack Nicklaus played his final Open at 65 years of age, but it is hard to imagine Woods continuing to play at the highest level to anything like that age considering what his body has been through over the last 15 years.
So perhaps Homa will indeed get to reflect on being one of those up close when Woods marched down the 18th at St Andrews in an Open Championship for the final time.
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