"It all started here," says Tiger Woods. The 150th edition of the British Open is special for the golf superstar in several ways. He wins the tournament three times and sets a record in 2000. Another victory for the 46-year-old returnee on his "favourite place" would be a sensation.
Tiger Woods posed for photos at the Celebration of Champions and was already wowing the crowd with some good shots. The fact that the Woods team ended up sharing second place at the show event with numerous golf legends on the Old Course in St. Andrews/Scotland was only a minor matter. The focus of the US superstar is on the 150th edition of the British Open, which starts on Thursday at the same place.
"It means a lot to me to be here, because this is where everything started for me as an amateur," said the 46-year-old: "I played my first game here. I played with (Bernhard) Langer, (Ernie) Els and (Tom) Watson played and they all showed me how to do it. This is my sixth tournament here and it's always very special."
In any case, Woods should have enough good memories as a three-time champion. In his first triumph in 2000, he not only set a record for a major tournament with 19 strokes under par, but at the age of 24 he also became the youngest player to make the Grand Slam. Five years later, Woods won again in Scotland, adding his win at Liverpool in 2006.
But those times seem to be over, the former dominator is no longer one of the favorites. His body "has been through a lot, it is what it is, but you can still play on links courses into the 50s," Woods said. In any case, he doesn't want to write himself off completely just yet. Woods starts on Thursday at 15:59 CEST. Then he tees off together with US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick (England) and the American Max Homa.
In addition to the world number one Scottie Scheffler (USA) and the Spaniard Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland is traded for the win. Even defending champion Collin Morikawa (USA) is only considered an outsider. No professional from Germany has qualified for the only major tournament outside of the United States. Woods, who celebrated his sensational comeback at the US Masters in April after his serious car accident, recently stepped back for health reasons. So he gave up after the third round of the PGA Championship and decided not to start at the US Open.
However, Woods made it clear in mid-April that the Old Course in St. Andrews is set. "It's something that's very close to my heart, I've won two Opens there, it's the home of golf and my favorite golf course in the world," said the 15-time major winner, who absolutely has to be at the "historic event". wanted and left hearty participation open: "If I get the chance to play again, that would be great, but there is no guarantee."
The prize money was even increased for the anniversary tournament in Scotland and the last major of the year. The winner can now expect around 2.5 million euros, a total of 13.8 million euros will be paid out, which corresponds to an increase of 22 percent. Should Woods be allowed to receive this winner's check on Sunday, it would be a sensation.
