Sleepless Nights and Shocking News: How a Failed Assassination Attempt Rocked Tiger Woods’ Preparation for The Open
Sleepless Nights and Shocking News: How a Failed Assassination Attempt Rocked Tiger Woods’ Preparation for The Open
Tiger Woods couldn’t get a wink of sleep on his flight from Florida to the UK on Saturday. The 15-time major championship winner’s preparations for The Open at Royal Troon were thrown into disarray following the failed assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
The former US president and current candidate for the 2024 election was targeted by a gunman during a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. The suspected shooter reportedly fired multiple shots before being taken down by a Secret Service sniper.
Woods revealed that he spent his entire flight glued to the coverage of the incident. Instead of arriving refreshed for a practice round on Sunday, his mind was racing, unable to focus.
In an interview with the BBC, Woods shared, “I didn’t accomplish a lot because I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. It was a long night [because of the assassination attempt], and that’s all we watched the entire time on the way over here. I didn’t sleep at all on the flight, and then we just got on the golf course.”
As Woods enters the tournament, he’s also facing criticism from former PGA Tour star Colin Montgomerie, who questioned the 48-year-old’s decision to participate in The Open due to ongoing fitness issues. “I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him,” Montgomerie told The Times.
Montgomerie expressed concerns about Woods’ current state of mind and enjoyment of the game: “There is none of that now. At Pinehurst, he did not seem to enjoy a single shot, and you think, ‘What the hell is he doing?’ He’s coming to Troon, and he won’t enjoy it there either. Aren’t we past that? There is a time for all sportsmen to say goodbye, but it’s very difficult to tell Tiger it’s time to go. Obviously, he still feels he can win. We are more realistic.”
Woods fired back at Montgomerie on Tuesday after being asked about the comments during a press conference. “Well, as a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60. Colin is not,” Woods stated. “He is not a past champion, so he’s not exempt. So he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do. So when I get to his age, I get to still make that decision, where he doesn’t.”
Montgomerie later clarified his comments, suggesting they were misconstrued: “If Golf Writers want my thoughts on Tiger, please ask me directly rather than taking a quote from an interview out of context. Wishing Tiger an enjoyable and successful week.”
Woods, a three-time Open champion, has struggled to make the cut since his second-place finish in 2018, missing out in both 2019 and 2022. The tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and Woods didn’t participate in 2021 or 2023.
Despite his victories in 2000, 2006, and 2007, Woods has only managed to secure runner-up positions twice since, in 2009 and 2018. Now, as he faces the dual pressures of personal distraction and professional scrutiny, the question remains: can he rise above the turmoil to make a triumphant return at The Open?
