Tiger Woods drops retirement hint after American sheds tears as he crashes out of Open

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Tiger Woods has hinted at his retirement from golf after crashing out of the Open Championship at St Andrews. The American icon struggled to move around the course this week due to the injuries caused by his car crash in February 2021 – and he suggested he will never return to St Andrews, indicating he plans to retire in the next eight years. 

Woods was reduced to tears walking up to the green of 18th hole of the tournament as fans paid their respects. The 46-year-old finished 47th at the Masters – his first tournament since returning from his rehabilitation – but was 147th at The Open. 

And he has now revealed that he might not be able to play the next time The Open visits St Andrews in 2030 as he does not know how long his body will allow him to compete. 

Woods told journalists: “So the warmth and the ovation at 18, it got to me. It’s very emotional for me. 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.

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“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. 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 (in 2000 and 2005). 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 that long enough that when it comes back around here, will I still be playing?”

Woods, a three-time Open champion, had to be extricated from the wreckage after he crashed while driving double the 45mph speed limit. He triumphantly returned after 18 months at this year’s Masters, but has insisted he does not have any other events lined up. 

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He added: “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.

“It’s a struggle just playing just the three events I played this year. That in itself was something I’m very proud of.

“Hopefully we do more hard work and give myself some more chances next year to play a few more events. Life moves on. And I think that’s what people understand. 

“And they knew my circumstances this year, of just playing, period. I was very lucky to have had a great team around me to get me to where I was physically able to play three times this year and very thankful to all of them for getting me to this spot.”

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