‘Favourite course in the world’ – Tiger Woods confirms he WILL play The Open at St Andrews after miracle Masters return

TIGER WOODS promised to bring his A-game to St Andrews – after proving he still has the sniff of glory in his nostrils. Woods’ fiery red shirt was brighter than the golf he played in a worst-ever final round at Augusta National on Saturday. Yet merely getting round 72 holes of one of the game’s […]

TIGER WOODS promised to bring his A-game to St Andrews – after proving he still has the sniff of glory in his nostrils.

Woods’ fiery red shirt was brighter than the golf he played in a worst-ever final round at Augusta National on Saturday.

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Yet merely getting round 72 holes of one of the game’s great tests was a triumph.

And Woods promised British fans he will be in the field when The Open returns to Fifeshire for the 150th tournament in July.

Woods said: “I’m looking forward to St Andrews.

“That’s something that’s near and dear to my heart.

“I’ve won two Opens there, it’s the home of golf and it’s my favourite golf course in the world, so I will be there for that one.”

It was an upbeat ending to 36 holes of toil, despite the huge galleries that followed him every step of the way.

But amid the winces, the grimaces, the pain and the frustration, one thing remains undiminished.

A belief that there is one final, glorious chapter to be written. A 15th major to be won.

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Forget the struggles of the afternoon and a 78 which saw him finish on 13 over, his highest 72-hole total by eight shots. 

Yet just beating the cut on Friday was a victory in itself, Woods’ mere appearance bringing a staggering 31 per cent rise in TV audiences in the US alone.

After all, just 14 months ago, the question was whether Woods would keep his right leg, and then ever walk again, rather than tee up with Jon Rahm on day four at The Masters.

Now, having proved, especially in his first 36 holes, that he remains not just the biggest draw in golf but also competitive, it is about what comes next.

He might be 46, the age Jack Nicklaus was when he won the last of his six Green Jackets in 1986.

Yet Woods is not ready to hang up his clubs yet.  

Woods said: “I tell myself the same thing, every day – never give up. Always chase after your dreams.

“And I fight each and every day. 

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Woods has revealed he wants to return to The Open, which he first won in 2000[/caption]

“Each and every day is a challenge. Each and every day presents its own different challenges for all of us. I wake up and start the fight all over again.”

The challenge yesterday was getting round one more time, although Rahm, world number one until a week or so ago, would have wanted his 69 to be more meaningful.

It was a struggle, too, despite a birdie at the first.

A run of three bogeys – Woods even dropped his club at the top of his swing after an errant push right from the middle of the fairway on five – saw the limp and frowns return.

Indeed, Woods’ hobble up to the green, with his leg bent at an odd angle, was a tough watch.

A brilliant scramble from the front bunker at seven stopped the rot but another one went at 10 after he drove miles left.

His hooked approach to 13 ended in the azaleas, forcing him to play left-handed and doing well to keep it on the green at all, while a three-putt for double bogey after a pulled drive and pushed second at 17 sent him further down the field.

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But the strut was back as he prowled up the hill to a rapturous reception on the last, which continued as he made his way to the clubhouse.

Woods added: “For not winning an event, this was one of my greatest achievements, without a doubt.

“Even a month ago I didn’t know if I could pull this off and to have that support out there was unbelievable. Now we’re excited about the prospects of the future.”