Tiger Woods announces break from golf after formulating career plan following British Open failure

Tiger Woods will not play this British Open Championship weekend but has admitted it will be a long time before he returns after that.

Tiger Woods has announced he is taking a break from competitive golf after a tough week at the British Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Woods’ championship came to a premature end on Friday, finishing just short at 14 over par after 36 holes. There was much talk about his future before the event, with Colin Montgomerie suggesting it might be time for the 48-year-old to call it a day.

But Woods had other ideas and, after playing in the Genesis Invitational, Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open, teed off at Royal Troon for his fifth start in 2024. At the end of a difficult week, the 15-time major champion acknowledged he won’t play on the PGA Tour until the Hero World Challenge in December.

“I’m not playing the Hero World Challenge until then,” Woods said. “I’m just going to keep on improving my physical condition and keep on working on it.” The three-time British Open winner also outlined his intention to play again in the PNC Championship, partnering with his son Charlie.

“Hopefully I’ll come back for the fifth major tournament, the father-son championship (PNC Championship), so I’m looking forward to it,” he added. Many wondered if this would be Woods’ last British Open, as he struggled and waved to the Troon gallery on the way to the 18th. Oisin Keneally/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)

But this isn’t a farewell to the British Open, and Woods later confirmed he intends to play at Royal Portrush next year. When asked if he’d play at the Northern Ireland Stadium in 2025, he replied, “The Open next year?” Yeah, definitely,\” with a big smile.

After kicking off his championship with an eight-over 79 on Thursday, Woods left himself plenty of work to do in the second round, but once again struggled to find his best golf. He shot a 7-over 78 on Day 2, but the testing conditions at Troon proved too tough for the 82-time PGA Tour winner.

Woods had this to say about Friday: I should have gone the other way, but I ended up hitting two straight from the bunker for a double, and I struggled with that pretty much all day. I never got close enough to get a birdie, so I ended up hitting a lot of bogeys.”