Tiger Woods has shared his aspirations to participate in more competitive golf by 2025, acknowledging that he was “too optimistic” when planning for the current season.

Woods’ performance at the Open Championship began on a sour note on Thursday, as he scored an exasperating eight-over-par 79 in his first round at Royal Troon. 

The 15-time major champion is only making his fifth appearance of the year in Scotland this week, due to ongoing health issues.

In light of Woods’ recent challenges, Colin Montgomerie proposed that the 82-time PGA Tour winner should consider retiring. 

However, it seems Woods intends to persist, regardless of how his week at Royal Troon unfolds.

“Hopefully next year will be a little bit better than this year,” Woods expressed to journalists after his initial round. 

Last December, while at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, the 48-year-old stated his hope to play once a month this year, having only played three times in 2023.

Unfortunately, this plan did not come to fruition, with Woods only making five appearances seven months into 2024. Following Thursday’s events, he conceded that while he may have aimed too high, his physical condition feels improved compared to the start of the season.

“I thought I could play a little bit more earlier in the year. I think I was a little bit too optimistic. I need to do a lot more work in the gym and keep progressing like we have,” he remarked. “I’m physically feeling a lot better than I did at the beginning of the year. At the end of last year, it was tough, and I haven’t played a whole lot.

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.”

He will undoubtedly be hoping for a better performance in Thursday’s game, with Woods leaving himself plenty of work to do on day two to ensure he makes the weekend. The three-time Open champion made six bogeys and two double bogeys, which canceled out his two birdies of the day at the third and 13th.

Detailing exactly how his afternoon unfolded, he said: “I didn’t do a whole lot of things right today. I made that putt on the 3rd hole, and then I think I had, what, three 3-putts today.

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 tomorrow to get something going on the weekend.”

Woods’ will resume action at 4:25 a.m. E.T. in the second round on Friday.

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Source: Tampa Bay Times