Tiger Woods responds after ‘ridiculous’ painkillers claim from TV commentator
Tiger Woods has refuted a TV commentator’s claim that he requires painkillers to compete at The Open. Despite shooting a 79 on the first day at Royal Troon, leaving him eight over par, Woods remains optimistic about his performance and future. Reflecting on his game, Woods acknowledged his improvement throughout the year despite limited play….
Tiger Woods has refuted a TV commentator’s claim that he requires painkillers to compete at The Open. Despite shooting a 79 on the first day at Royal Troon, leaving him eight over par, Woods remains optimistic about his performance and future.
Reflecting on his game, Woods acknowledged his improvement throughout the year despite limited play. “I’m physically feeling a lot better than I did at the beginning of the year,” Woods said. “At the end of last year, it was tough, and I haven’t played a whole lot, but I think that, as the year has gone on, I have gotten better. I just wish I could have played a little bit more, but I’ve been saving it for the Majors just in case I do something pretty major and then take myself out of it. Hopefully, next year will be a little bit better than this year.”
Woods, who has won 15 major championships, including three The Open titles in 2000, 2005, and 2006, has faced numerous injuries in recent years. These include breaking his leg and ankle in a 2021 car crash, back surgery to remove a bone fragment, and ankle surgery to treat post-traumatic arthritis in April last year.
Earlier in the day, Sky Sports commentator and former player Mark Roe sparked controversy by suggesting Woods appeared to be on medication while playing. Roe commented, “You look at the eyes, you gotta think there’s a lot of painkillers being taken to cope with the pain.” Fans quickly responded on social media, criticizing Roe’s remarks as baseless and inappropriate.
Despite the difficult start, Woods is determined to bounce back with a strong performance on the second day. “I didn’t do a whole lot of things right (on Thursday),” he admitted. “I made that putt on the 3rd hole and then I think I had three three-putts. I didn’t hit my irons very close and I didn’t give myself a whole lot of looks today. I need to shoot something in the mid-60s (on Friday) to get something going on the weekend.”
Woods teed off just before 9:30 AM on the second day, alongside his partners Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele.
