Tiger Woods returns to St. Andrews for Open Championship: Everything you should know
Tiger Woods has spent a long time soaking in the scene during his practice rounds for the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews. He brought his partner, Erica Herman, out for some photos atop the iconic Swilcan Bridge on St. Andrews' 18th hole.
St. Andrews is a course Woods knows very well, going as far as to call it his favorite during Tuesday's press conference ahead of the Open Championship, which begins Thursday. He made his Open debut here in 1995. Five years later, Woods hoisted the Claret Jug at St. Andrews to become the youngest golfer ever to complete a career Grand Slam. Woods won The Open again in 2005, but finished tied for 23rd in 2010 and missed the cut in 2015.
Even with the history Woods has made here, he still feels the weight of how special it is to play at St. Andrews.
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"It feels more historic than it normally has, and it's hard to believe that," said Woods during Tuesday's press conference. "We are coming back to the home of golf. It is history every time we get a chance to play here, but there's so much that's going on this week. ... It's hard to believe, it's been 150 years we've played this tournament. It's just incredible. The history behind it, the champions that have won here, it's hard to believe it's more historic, but it really is."
When does Tiger Woods tee off?
Woods tees off at 2:59 p.m. local time (9:59 a.m. EST) on Thursday and Friday, playing in a trio alongside Max Homa and Matt Fitzpatrick.
How to watch the Open Championship
Coverage begins Thursday at 4 a.m. EST on the Golf Channel, switching over to NBC for Saturday and Sunday's coverage.
What is Tiger Woods' British Open future?
Woods, 46, has undergone several surgeries over the last decade, most recently for compound fractures in his right leg sustained during a single-car collision. While he did make his return to golf at the 2022 Masters, Woods has made it clear he will never be able to play a full schedule again, holding out to play a few events a year.
MORE: After robust practice round schedule, Tiger Woods will take it easy ahead of Open Championship
With the Open Championship not returning to St. Andrews until 2026 at the earliest, there is a very real chance this will be Woods' last time walking across that stone bridge.
"Who knows? I don't know, if it is that long, whether or not I will be able to physically compete at this level by then," Woods said. "It's also one of the reasons why I wanted to play in this championship. I don't know what my career is going to be like.
"I don't know how many Open Championships I have left here at St. Andrews, but I wanted this one. It started here for me in '95. If it ends here in '22, it does. If it doesn't, it doesn't. If I get the chance to play one more, it would be great, but there's no guarantee."
Photos of Tiger Woods at Open Championship
A look back at Woods' career at the iconic course:
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tiger Woods at British Open: Tee times, how to watch, a look back
