Tiger Woods plays full 18-hole practice round ahead of British Open

Sam Cooper
·College football writer
Updated ·3 min read
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With the 150th British Open just five days away, Tiger Woods got in a full 18-hole practice round on Sunday at St. Andrews.

It’s not something he has previously done ahead of major tournaments since his return to the PGA Tour.

Woods played just nine-hole practice rounds in the lead-up to both the Masters and PGA Championship earlier this year because of the physical limitations he is still experiencing in the aftermath of the February 2021 car wreck that nearly cost him his right leg.

Those majors are the only two tournaments Woods has participated in since the wreck, which resulted in multiple fractures.

This time around, with Justin Thomas playing alongside him, Woods worked his way through 18 holes as he looks to compete in another Open championship at St. Andrews. Of his three Open championships, two came on this course — one in 2000 and another in 2005.

In April, Woods finished 47th at the Masters in his return to the tour. At the PGA Championship in May, Woods made the cut again but withdrew after posting a third-round score of 79 and struggling to walk the course.

Woods, a winner of 15 major championships, then opted to skip the U.S. Open last month in order to prepare himself for his return to St. Andrews for the 150th edition of the Open. He walked the full course with Thomas on Sunday morning after a practice session Saturday night and played rounds at a pro-am in Ireland last week, including one with Rory McIlroy.

Woods, who said his leg is feeling stronger, has been open about his hopes of competing at St. Andrews for the 150th Open.

“This is a pretty historic Open that we are going to be playing,” Woods said, according to Golfweek. “I’m lucky enough to be part of the past champions that have won there, and want to play there again, and I don’t know when they are ever going to go back while I’m still able to play at a high level. I want to be able to give it at least one more run at a high level.”

Woods is scheduled to participate in the Open’s Celebration of Champions exhibition on Monday with McIlroy, Lee Trevino and 2018 Women’s Open champion Georgia Hall. The group will play four holes.

Woods then will go for his fourth Open, beginning on Thursday.

U.S golfers Justin Thomas, right, and Tiger Woods tee off on the 12th hole during a practice round at the British Open golf championship on the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, Sunday July 10, 2022. The Open Championship returns to the home of golf on July 14-17, 2022, to celebrate the 150th edition of the sport's oldest championship, which dates to 1860 and was first played at St. Andrews in 1873. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)