Tiger Woods was able to cap a mostly frustrating week with a final-round 69 at Pebble Beach. Just don’t expect to see the 15-time Major champ attempt to carry any of that momentum from today over to another tournament soon.
After his final round at the 2019 US Open, Woods sounded like a golfer who won’t tee it up in competition before next month’s Open Championship. Twice, Tiger was asked about his upcoming schedule and twice he gave hints that he won’t tee it up for real until Royal Portrush, July 18-21.
First, there was a When will we see you again? question.
“Depends, if you’ve got a camera phone,” Woods responded. “So – no, I think I’m going to take a little bit of time off and enjoy some family time.”
OK… And then a more direct Will you play again before Portrush?
“I’ll play at home, yeah,” Woods said slyly.
Of course, this isn’t much of a surprise considering Woods has never played any of the four US PGA Tour events scheduled before the year’s fourth and final Major. Next week is the Travelers Championship followed by two new events on the tour schedule, the Rocket Mortgage Classic and the 3M Open, and finally, the John Deere Classic.
This would also mark the second time this season Woods has sat out all the events in between two Majors. After his win at the Masters in April, Woods didn’t play again until the PGA Championship, where he missed the cut.
Woods also said he’s never played Royal Portrush, which is hosting The Open for the first time since 1951.
“I’ve only played County Down, I’ve never been up to Portrush, and I’m looking forward to getting up there and taking a look at the golf course and trying to figure out,” Woods said. “I hope that my practice rounds are such that we get different winds, especially on a golf course that I’ve never played, and to get a different feel how it could play for the week. And definitely have to do my homework once I get there.”
