SI

Tiger Woods Logs a Full Round of British Open Practice on the Old Course

Though still walking with a pronounced limp, the three-time British Open champion played a rare 18 holes of practice on Sunday morning.

Bob Harig

Tiger Woods Logs a Full Round of British Open Practice on the Old Course
Tiger Woods Logs a Full Round of British Open Practice on the Old Course /

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — After a late-night practice session on the Old Course that ended as the sun was setting after 10:30 p.m., Tiger Woods was back on the course just after 8:30 a.m. Sunday.

Playing with Justin Thomas off the first tee, Woods showed some ambition by returning so early after walking the entire course Saturday night but did show a pronounced limp at times.

And yet, Woods did something he has not done in any on-site practice round this year: he was to play 18 holes.

Still slowed by the effects of the injuries suffered to his lower right leg in a February car 2021 car crash, Woods is scheduled to play for just the third time this year after making the cut at both the Masters and the PGA Championship.

But he withdrew following the third round of the PGA Championship on May 22 due to the difficulties with walking. And he said last week he was planning to play last month’s U.S. Open because “I was not physically ready.”

Woods, who won two of his three British Opens at the Old Course in 2000 and 2005, emerged in public for the first time last week at the JP McManus Pro-Am in Ireland. He got in a practice round at Ballybunion on Thursday and came to Scotland on Saturday.

As has been the case in his rare public golf, Woods appeared solid off the tee, with plenty of distance. His iron play is not as consistent although he hit several good ones. Because the Old Course has seven greens that are shared among two holes, Woods and Thomas could get in some work on two holes at once as they played the outward nine.

Woods tweaked his driver by adjusting the loft during the round and also used Thomas’ launch monitor to get feedback.

Tiger Woods drove the 18th green at St. Andrews on Sunday in a British Open practice round.
Tiger Woods drove the 18th green on Sunday in his practice round :: Bob Harig/SI.com
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Bob Harig
BOB HARIG

Bob Harig is a senior writer covering golf for Sports Illustrated. He has more than 25 years experience on the beat, including 15 at ESPN. Harig is a regular guest on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio and has written two books, "DRIVE: The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods" and "Tiger and Phil: Golf's Most Fascinating Rivalry." He graduated from Indiana University where he earned an Evans Scholarship, named in honor of the great amateur golfer Charles (Chick) Evans Jr. Harig, a former president of the Golf Writers Association of America, lives in Clearwater, Fla.

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