ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Tiger Woods ran down Swilcan Bridge as fast as his repaired legs could muster, doffed his hat and saluted the thousands in attendance at the Old Course who stood as one.
There was no pause. Without a moment’s thought. But as he stepped off the cobbles, Rory McIlroy tipped his hat to Woods. Then the moment hit Woods and the tears began to well up. This may be the last hurray, at least on the Old Course, where he won two Open Championships.
“It’s very emotional for me. I’ve been coming here since 1995. I think the next one will come in 2030, so I don’t know if I’ll be physically able to play by then. For me, it felt like this might be my last British Open here at St. Andrews,” Woods said after shooting 75 for a two-round 9-over 153.
The Old Course is Woods’ undisputed favorite. He said it several times. Even before he dominated it in 2000 and 2005 for two of his three home runs. Its strategic principles, the way it requires players to plan their way, the search for shots and its extensive history are all reasons why it is loved.
As Woods continued down the stretch to the 18th, the throngs of fans found themselves in full voice and Justin Thomas and others from the opening game slowed down their rounds to show their appreciation. Memories of his first trip as an amateur in 1995, when Arnold Palmer said goodbye, flashed through his mind. Then he remembered the roars reserved for Jack Nicklaus years later, which Woods heard from several holes away.
“The fans, the cheers and the heat, it was an amazing feeling. I understand what Jack and Arnold went through in the past. I felt that way at the end. … They understand what golf is all about and what it takes to be an Open champion,” Woods added. “And I’ve been lucky and fortunate enough to win that twice here. … I feel like I’ll be able to play in the British Opens in the future, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to play long enough when it comes back here.”
Woods drives just short of the 18th green and gets close, but his putt for the final birdie misses. Still, the intensity of the ovation and respect from his peers moved Woods. He looked down at the ground and put his hands over his eyes as the tears welled up.
“As I got closer to the green, … the cheers got louder and you could feel the heat and the people on both sides,” he said. “I felt like the whole tournament was right there and everyone had appreciated what I’d done here over the years I’d been playing. … I felt like it just came to my head right there as I was walking to my golf ball.”
Woods was adamant this week that he will not retire and that he hopes to compete in future Opens, but he has also played just three times this year and said he has no other events on his schedule. The amount of time and effort it takes him to compete will prevent him from playing more tournaments.
After making the cut at the Masters in April, Woods repeated the feat at the PGA Championship in May. But he struggled in the third round and had to retire. He skipped the U.S. Open just to make sure he could find his way to St. Andrews, which Woods said would not host another Open for eight years.
“I’m not going to retire from the game,” Woods added. “It’s a struggle just to play the three events I played this year. That in itself was something I was very proud of. I was able to play those three events considering what happened.”
As such, Woods said there are currently no events on his calendar.
“Maybe something in the next year,” he said. “It’s hard to just go and play 18 holes. People have no idea what I have to go through and the hours of body work, before and after, every single day to do what I just did.
Here’s a hole-by-hole breakdown of Woods’ second round at The 150th Open, as the three-time Open champion (twice at St. Andrews) made sure to understand, feel and embrace the moment.
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