Tiger Woods arrives at Royal Troon for The 152nd Open Championship

Tiger Woods has arrived at Royal Troon Golf Club for The 152nd Open Championship.

Woods played a practice round Sunday afternoon at the Scottish seaside venue, sporting a green sweater and white pants, as he gears up for the season’s final major, which will be contested for the 10th time at Royal Troon and first since 2016.

This will mark Woods’ first time competing in all four major championships in a calendar year since suffering severe injuries to both legs in a 2021 car crash. Woods made the cut at the Masters, setting a record with his 24th straight made cut at Augusta National, but he stumbled to weekend rounds of 82-77 for a 60th-place finish. He then missed the cut at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club and U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

Woods has competed in two prior Open Championships at Royal Troon, finishing T24 in 1997 and T9 in 2004. He didn’t compete in the 2016 Open Championship at Royal Troon; he didn’t play a major in either 2016 or 2017 due to injury.

Woods’ 1997 debut at Royal Troon came as Tiger-mania was quickly building to its crescendo, three months after he earned his first major title by 12 strokes at the Masters. After opening rounds of 72-74 at the 1997 Open Championship, he raced up the board with a third-round 64 to move inside the leaderboard’s top 10, but he slowed to a final-round 74 that included a triple bogey on the famed “Postage Stamp” – the short par-3 eighth hole. He finished 12 strokes behind winner Justin Leonard.

In 2004, Woods carded rounds of 70-71-68-72 for a 3-under total, seven back of winner Todd Hamilton, who defeated Ernie Els in a four-hole aggregate playoff.

Woods speaks openly about his physical struggles to walk a golf course after various ailments and injuries through the years. Now 48, he’s excited about the prospects of competing on PGA TOUR Champions upon turning 50 in December 2025, but he still believes he can contend for major championships in the right conditions.

This week’s forecast at Royal Troon calls for relatively low temperatures (highs in the 60s F for most of the week) and rainy conditions. Eight years ago at Royal Troon, the Thursday/Friday draw was a focal point of the week’s narrative; runner-up Phil Mickelson (17-under) finished 11 strokes clear of third-place J.B. Holmes. Those on the wrong side didn’t stand much of a chance.

In addition to Sunday’s scouting mission, Woods is signed up for a solo Monday practice round (4:10 p.m. local) and Tuesday practice round (10:30 a.m.) with Max Homa and Justin Thomas. He appears intent on a robust preparation approach. Can Woods find the proper side of the draw and contend in his 95th career major start? Time will tell.