Thursday is going to be a big day for Tiger Woods. For the first time since 2020 at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York, he will be teeing it up at the U.S. Open. This year’s edition of the major tournament will be held at Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
This is a tournament that could set up well for Tiger Woods. Given the number of injuries he has dealt with, the high temperatures will do his body some good. Weather projections put the temperature in the high 80s and low 90s with little chance of precipitation; the kind of weather similar to where he lives in Jupiter, Florida.
“It’s like home,” said Woods. “Hot and humid is what we deal with every single day at home in Florida, so that’s nothing new. It’s just making sure that I keep hydrated and the mental tax that the heat will bring. It’s going to bring it to all of us, not just me. Everyone is going to be tested.”
This will be the third career start for Tiger Woods at Pinehurst No. 2. In 1999 he tied for third place and in 2005 he finished in second. In 2014, the most recent time the U.S. Open has been at Pinehurst No. 2, he missed the tournament as he was recovering from back surgery.
The 48-year-old star has not found much success in major competition since returning to competitive golf following a car wreck in February 2021 when he was seriously injured. He made the cut twice at The Masters, finishing 47th and 60th in 2022 and this year, but has withdrawn or missed the cut in his four other outings. But, he is hoping that changes this week.
“I feel like I have the strength to be able to do it,” Woods said Tuesday, when asked if his body is good enough to compete and win. “It’s just a matter of doing it. This golf course is going to test every single aspect of your game, especially mentally, and just the mental discipline that it takes to play this particular golf course, it’s going to take a lot.”
A 15-time major champion, Tiger Woods will have his work cut out for him at the U.S Open. Pinehurst No. 2 is a demanding course and requires the kind of touch around the green that he has not showcased in recent outings.
It is tough to find a rhythm when you are playing as infrequently as Tiger Woods has been; once a month is the goal he has set. But, if the conditions are just right, as they could be this week, we could see him playing on the weekend in a major once again.
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