Woods says he used a 6-iron to hit 120 yards on Tuesday as the wind picked up on the Fife coast Location: St Andrews, Scotland Dates: July 14-17 Coverage: BBC TV, radio and online, on the BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Sounds, BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport mobile app. Full coverage details.
Tiger Woods believes some players have “turned their backs” on what made them tick by leaving the PGA Tour to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series.
Speaking at St Andrews ahead of the 150th Open Championship, the 15-time major winner said it would be “sad” for young players not to experience such events.
“What they did was turn their backs on what got them to this position,” Woods said.
LIV golfers who have qualified for the Open this week will be allowed to play.
However, the R&A did not invite LIV chief executive Greg Norman to compete in Monday’s Celebration of Champions event or attend the Champions’ Dinner on Tuesday, saying: “The 150th Open is a hugely important milestone for golf and we want to ensure the focus remains on celebrating the championship and its legacy.
“Unfortunately, we do not believe this would have been the case if Greg had been present.
It was a decision Norman called “petty.”
However, Woods agreed with the R&A’s position, saying: “Greg has done some things that I don’t think are in the best interests of our game, and we’re going back to probably the most historic and traditional place in our sport. I believe it’s the right thing to do.”
The LIV circuit has created a divide in the game and attracted some of the best players in the world, with £200m of prize money up for grabs across the eight announced events, two of which have already been played.
The PGA Tour has suspended all members who have competed on the LIV Golf Tour, including major champions Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed, who are all playing this week.
Woods says the concept of the Rebel Tour is very different from when Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer supported players breaking away from the PGA of America to form the PGA Tour in 1968.
“I just don’t get it,” Woods added. “I understand what Jack and Arnold did because playing pro golf at the tour level versus a club pro is different and I understand that transition and that move and the recognition that a tour pro versus a club pro is something different.
“But what are these players doing for guaranteed money, what is the incentive to train? What’s the incentive to go out there and earn it in the dirt? You just get a lot of money up front and you play a few events and they play 54 holes. They play loud music and they have all these atmospheres that are different.
“I just don’t see how this move is positive in the long term for many of these players, especially if the LIV organization doesn’t get world ranking points and major championships change their criteria for entering events.”
“It would be sad to see some of these young kids never get a chance to experience it and experience what we have a chance to experience and walk on these hallowed grounds and play in these championships.”
“Some players have never even had a chance to experience it. They’ve come right from the amateur ranks right into this organization and they’ve never really had a chance to play here and what it’s like to play on Tour or play in some big events.
“And who knows what will happen in the near future with the points in the world ranking, the criteria for entering major championships.” The governing body will have to figure that out.”
“I didn’t want to miss this Open”
However, as he prepares to compete in the home of golf this week, Woods remains confident that the future of the sport is in a good place.
“I’m very optimistic,” the 46-year-old said. “We’re in the biggest golf boom right now because of Covid.
“As a sport, we’re allowed to go out and be outside and participate and do some physical activity and get out of the house and still not worry about Covid.
“There are so many new, young golfers coming up. Just look at the Tour, the average age is getting younger and younger and they’re just getting better earlier and faster and winning at an earlier age.”
Woods became the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam by winning all four majors, earning his first tee shot with a victory at the Old Course in 2000 and calling it his favorite venue.
The three-time winner would not pass up the chance to play in the Fife links again after suffering career-threatening injuries in February last year.
“For most of my rehab, I was just hoping that I could walk again, walk normally and have a normal life and maybe play a little golf with my son or with my friends at home,” he said.
“But lo and behold, I played championship golf this year. And once I realized that it was possible to play at a high level, my focus was to come back here to St Andrews to play in this championship because it’s the most historic one we’ve ever had.
“I just didn’t want to miss this Open here at the home of golf.”
When asked if this could be his last Open at St Andrews – the next one is in 2027 – he said: “Who knows? I don’t know if I will be able to compete physically at this level until then.
“I don’t know how many open championships I have left here at St. Andrews, but I wanted this.
“For me, it started here in ’95 and if it ends here in ’22, then so be it. If it doesn’t, it won’t.
“If I get the chance to play one more, it would be great, but there’s no guarantee.”
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