Emotional Woods struggles in possible farewell to St Andrews

In the end, what his heart wanted, his body could not deliver.

Tiger Woods wasn’t able to do what he had hoped to do at the Open Championship: to compete. His battered body – with a leg held together by metal, a back with the scars of multiple operations and his game covered in rust from only a handful of competitive rounds over the last year – made this task a near impossibility.

His scorecard will show two rounds totalling nine over par, better than only a handful of players in the field. Coming on the Old Course, his favourite place in the game, that will no doubt frustrate him. He still has high expectations for himself and was still grinding over every shot through two rounds.

But this day was not about the numbers on the scorecard. It was about who he is, where he has played and what he’s meant to the game. It was about the realization that this is likely the last time he will play an Open at the Old Course, at least in any meaningful way.

It all came to a head as he walked across the Swilcan Bridge on 18. He doffed his cap and accepted the swell of applause, but he did not stop, as have so many legends in the past to wave goodbye. It was an indication that his journey is not done yet.

His playing partners, Matt Fitzpatrick and Max Homa, slowed to give Woods the solo walk. On the first hole with the adjoining fairway, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas both tipped their caps in respect as he went past.

It was just a bit too much for Woods, who dipped his head and brushed away the tears. A few moments later, however, he was back grinding over a chip onto the green and a birdie putt. He missed that but no one cared, except perhaps Woods.

“It's very emotional for me,” said the 15-time major champion. “I've been coming here since 1995, and I don't know when – I think the next one comes around in what, 2030? – and I don't know if I will be physically able to play by then. So, to me it felt like this might have been my last British Open here at St Andrews. And the fans, the ovation, and the warmth, it was an unbelievable feeling.”

Woods targeted this event, the 150th anniversary of the Open Championship, a long time ago. He announced his intention to play at the Masters in April and passed on the U.S. Open in June so his body would be ready to take on the challenge. That’s the competitor that’s always been inside him, driven him to his 82 victories including three Open titles, two of which came at St Andrews.

While he still wants to play, it’s clear that he knows the finish line is closer than it’s ever been. For that reason, there was a sense that he wanted to drink it all in this week, absorb the feeling of what was happening around him one more time.

“I understand what Jack [Nicklaus] and Arnold [Palmer] had gone through in the past,” he said of the farewells of the two legends. “I was kind of feeling that way there at the end. And just the collective warmth and understanding. They understand what golf's all about and what it takes to be an Open champion.

“And I've been lucky enough and fortunate enough to have won this twice here. And it felt very emotional, just because I just don't know what my health is going to be like. And I feel like I will be able to play future British Opens, but I don't know if I'll be able to play long enough that when it comes back around here, I will still be playing.”

It wasn’t all ceremonial of course. Friday’s round, which started in the rain and cold and ended in warm sun, was frustrating for Woods.

“I'm a little ticked that I'm not playing on the weekend,” Woods stated. “I certainly did not play good enough to be around. I wish I would have played better. I wish I had a little bit better break at the first hole yesterday and maybe started off a little better. But that's just kind of how it all went from there. Just never really kind of materialized.”

It will take some time for all of this to settle and for the waves of gratitude between Woods and the fans to gently ebb. When that happens, the next question will be where he’ll play next. Is there a date circled on next year’s calendar as this one was while he was in a hospital bed, hoping his leg would respond to treatment?

“I have nothing, nothing planned. Zero,” Woods said. “Maybe something next year. I don't know. But nothing in the near future. This is it. I was just hoping to play this one event this year.

“And I was lucky enough, again, got three events in. And they're all majors. So, I feel very fortunate to have had the things happen this way and the struggles I've been through to get to this point.”

All golf fans are fortunate to have watched Woods over the years, both at the Open and everywhere else. No one knows what’s left, but what he’s given golf is more than enough.