Tiger Woods showed true colours after Roger Federer-esque incident at The Open

Golfing legend Tiger Woods, once brimming with confidence akin to tennis star Roger Federer, faced an embarrassing moment when he was denied entry by security at The Open. In his prime, Woods had an awkward exchange with staff that highlighted his superstar status.

Despite his illustrious past, Woods missed the cut at The Open this year, ending his second day with a six-over-par round and finishing 14-over-par, eight shots above the cut line. This continues a challenging trend for Woods at The Open, having been cut from four of his last five appearances since 2015, though he did tie for sixth place in 2018. This stands in stark contrast to his dominant years between 1998 and 2006, where he won The Open four times and only missed the top 10 twice.

The incident in question occurred during Woods’ peak. PGA golfer Michael Kim recounted on social media how Woods once forgot his credentials and was stopped by security. With characteristic confidence, Woods pointed to a massive billboard bearing his name and face and quipped, “That’s my credentials,” before walking into the locker room.

This episode is reminiscent of Roger Federer, who famously took selfies with security staff after being initially refused entry at Wimbledon in 2022. Both sports legends handled the situations with poise and humor.

Woods, a 15-time major winner, has recently faced speculation about his retirement but remains determined to continue. Reflecting on his performance, Woods said, “It wasn’t very good. I made a double there at two and I was just fighting it all day. I never really hit it close enough to make birdies and made a lot of bogeys.”

Despite the disappointing result at Royal Troon, Woods remains optimistic. “I would have liked to have played more but I just wanted to make sure I was able to play the major championships. I’ve got a lot of time off to get better physically, which has been the case all year.”

Woods emphasized his physical improvement, stating, “I’ve gotten better even though my results haven’t shown it, but physically I’ve gotten better, which is great. I need to keep progressing and eventually start playing more competitively and getting into the competitive flow again.”

Expressing his enduring love for major championships, Woods added, “I just wish I was more physically sharp coming into the majors. Obviously it tests you mentally, physically, emotionally, and I just wasn’t as sharp as I needed to be. I was hoping that I would find it somehow, just never did. Consequently, my results and scores were pretty high.”

Despite current challenges, Woods remains committed to playing at The Open next year, holding on to his positive outlook for the future.