Woods confirmed for special event to tee off week of Open

Three-time Open champion Tiger Woods has been confirmed as playing in the R&A Celebration of Champions at St Andrews on Monday to begin the week of the 150th championship.

The winner of the Claret Jug in 2000, 2005 and 2006 has continued a gradual recovery from the car accident in February 2021.

He had indicated in April his determination to play the 150th Open.

Woods suffered a setback in his return to play when he was forced to miss the US Open last month. But has continued his recovery since and arrived for preparation in Ireland this week.

The Celebration of Champions is a four-hole mini-event consisting of teams of golf champions from all areas of the game – mens and women’s, professional and amateur, disabled, past and present.

It extends on the concept of the Champions’ Challenges successfully run prior to the Opens of 2000 and 2015.

Woods and 2014 Open champion Rory McIlroy will be part of the same team. Lee Trevino, the 1971 and 1972 Open champion, and Georgia Hall, the 2018 Women’s Open champion complete the quartet.

They will tee off at 5.05pm on Monday. The event is launched by current champion Collin Morikawa, partnered by the 2021 Women’s Open champion Anna Nordqvist.

Women’s amateur champion Jess Baker and Keita Nakajima, who won the Asia-Pacific Amateur are the two others.

The champions will compete over the 1st, 2nd, 17th and 18th holes of the famous Old Course.

The full draw will be announced on Monday morning and the R&A Celebration of Champions will be broadcast live on TV.

It will also be available to view digitally on TheOpen.com and The Open’s YouTube channel. Fans can also follow the action via The Open Radio, The Open App and The Open’s various social channels.

A number of special guests, including names from the world of sport and entertainment, have also been invited by the R&A to attend the celebrations taking place throughout the week at the home of golf.

● Meanwhile the winner of the 150th Open Championship will receive a record first prize of $2.5 million (£2.09m), tournament organisers have announced.

The total prize fund at St Andrews has also increased by 22% to $14m (£11.7m).

The champion golfer at St Andrews next week will win £2.1m ($2.5m). Second place will take home £1.22m ($1.455m) while third place receives £782,000 ($933,000).

Even the competitor finishing last on the Old Course next week is guaranteed a cheque for £5,863.

Tiger Woods will be back at St Andrews on Monday.