Woods targets Open after nearly losing leg in crash
As if the anticipation was not building enough for next year’s 150th Open Championship at St Andrews, now Tiger Woods has added to the hype by saying he intends to do all he can to recover from his leg injuries to play at his “favourite course in the world”.
In his first press conference since his life-threatening car crash in February, Woods, 45, refused to give any details about the mysterious accident, only saying “all those answers have been answered in the investigation”.
He was more animated about discussing his chances of being in that Claret Jug field next July.
“Yeah, I would love to play at St Andrews. It’s my favourite golf course in the world. To be a two-time Open champion there, just being a part of the champions dinner, is really neat,” he said. “It’s just an honour to be a part of a room like that. Yes, I would love to be able to play that Open Championship. Physically, hopefully I can.” Woods has acknowledged that he will “never play full-time again”, but used Ben Hogan, who won three majors despite almost being killed in his own car crash, as an example of hope. “I don’t foresee this leg ever being what it used to be, and the clock’s ticking,” Woods said. “All that combined means that a full schedule and a full practice schedule and the recovery that it would take, no, I don’t have any desire to do that. But to ramp up for a few events a year. “I’ve come off surgeries before, I’ve come off long lay-offs and I’ve won or come close to winning. I’ve just got to get to a point where I feel comfortable enough where I can do that again.”
Woods faced the media for more than 30 minutes and confessed to being in pain, while he confirmed that the prospect of losing his leg had been a real possibility.
“I’m lucky to be alive, but to also still have the limb,” he said. “I’m very grateful that someone upstairs was taking care of me, that I’m able to not only be here, but also to walk without a prosthesis… It’s been tough at times, but then again, as I was making progress, too, I could see some light and that was giving me hope. I’m able to participate more with my kids and their activities, and more just in life in general.”
Woods described himself as being “at peace” with his achievements. He pointedly spoke of the 2019 Masters as “that last major win”. But this was certainly not a goodbye or even the first strains of a protracted farewell.