From the home of golf came the ire of the Tiger and an impassioned roar in defence of tradition that must surely have rattled the cage of even the Great White Shark.

Rarely, if ever, in his entire career have we heard Tiger Woods like this, speaking in reasoned tones but pouring scorn and contempt on the Saudi-backed LIV lackeys and their public face, Greg Norman.

If you want to know how much Tiger is enjoying being here in this hallowed place, how much it means after all he went through, it was all there as he savaged those in their 20s who opted instead to give hard work a miss and take the easy money.

Tiger Woods has backed his decision to turn down nearly $1billion to join the LIV Golf series

Heck, he savaged all of them, young and old.

‘I disagree with those who have gone to LIV, I think they have turned their back on what allowed them to get to this position,’ he began. ‘Some players have never had a chance to even experience playing on one of the tours.

‘They have gone right from the amateur ranks to that organisation and never really had a chance to feel what it is like to play a schedule or play in big events.

‘Some of these players may never even get a chance to play in major championships. That is a possibility. They will never get a chance to experience this right here. Walk down the fairways at Augusta National.

‘I don’t understand it. What these players are doing for guaranteed money, what is the incentive to practise? What is the incentive to go out there and earn it in the dirt?

‘You are just getting paid a lot of money up front and playing a few events and playing 54 holes.

‘They are playing blaring music. I can understand 54 holes for the Senior Tour. The guys are older and a little more banged up. When you are young, 72-hole tests are part of it. We used to have 36-hole play-offs for majors.

‘I just don’t see how this is positive in the long term. It would be sad to see some of these young kids never get a chance to walk these hallowed grounds and play in these majors.’

Given there is barely a golfer anywhere under the age of 30 who does not look up to Tiger, his devastating words are sure to resonate. It was particularly interesting to hear him question if the defectors will be eligible for future majors.

The key issue of whether LIV events will earn world ranking points has still to be determined. But if there was a person who would have inside knowledge on how the debate was shaping up, it would be Woods.

He was equally withering when it came to Norman. Like Rory McIlroy, Woods concurred with the R&A’s decision to exclude the Aussie from the 150th Open celebrations and accused him of not acting in the best interests of the game.

‘I know what the PGA Tour stands for, what it has given us: the ability to chase after our careers, the trophies we play for and to earn what we get and the history that has been part of this game,’ he said.

Greg Norman won the Open in 1986 and 1993 but is now the CEO of Saudi-backed LIV Golf

The Saudi-backed LIV series event has dominated the headlines ever since it began

‘I know Greg tried to do what he is doing now back in the early Nineties. It didn’t work then and he is trying to make it work now. I still don’t see how that is in the game’s best interests.

‘All the governing bodies, the PGA Tour, the European Tour, all the majors — we all see it differently to Greg.’

It is surely no coincidence that this extraordinary outpouring from Woods came here at the cradle of the game. The fact he is here at all is down to sacrifice and determination, the willingness to put in the hard graft.

He is clearly reaping every minute of his reward. From the moment he touched down on Saturday afternoon, he has spent as many minutes as his battered right leg has allowed on the sacred turf.

He walked 18 holes in the Saturday evening shadows and played 18 more the following morning. Another nine on Monday followed by four more in the Champions Challenge.

A further nine in the strong gusts on Tuesday before a day of rest on Wednesday ahead of a first round he could not have imagined playing in this time last year.

According to Norman, Tiger turned down £630million from LIV in favour of loyalty and priceless experiences such as the one he will relish when he steps on the first tee on Thursday.

‘It’s hard to imagine that it could ever feel more historic than simply coming back to the home of golf but this feels like the biggest Open Championship we have ever had,’ said Woods.

It was at St Andrews where Woods made his Open debut as an amateur in 1995. Where he completed the career Grand Slam in 2000 and won again in 2005.

This is his sixth Open in all here and he is doing all the photographs with friends and family each day as he walks across the Swilcan Burn. He knows it might be his last.

‘I have a photo in my office from my first practice round here, me sitting on that bridge,’ he revealed. ‘It means a lot and this year, as I said, feels even more historic. It’s one of the reasons why I wanted to play.

‘I don’t know what my career is going to be like going forward. If it ends here in 2022, it does. If I get the chance to play one more Open here, it would be great. But there’s no guarantee.’

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Source: The Wall Street Journal