ESPN released a list of the top professional athletes of the 21st Century, with Tiger Woods ranked eighth, raising debates on the ranking of athletes based on their achievements since 2000.

By the Numbers

• Tiger Woods is ranked 8th on ESPN’s list of top athletes of the 21st Century.
• Only 13 of Woods’ 18 major wins have come since the year 2000.

Yes, But

Some argue that Woods could have been ranked higher based on his impact on golf compared to other athletes on the list.

State of Play

• The ranking considers accomplishments since 2000, leading to diverse opinions on the placement of different athletes.
• Woods’ influence on rejuvenating golf is highlighted as a separate factor from his on-course performance.

What’s Next

Future discussions may continue surrounding the ranking of athletes and the criteria used to assess their impact within their respective sports.

Bottom Line

Tiger Woods’ 8th position on ESPN’s list acknowledges his significant impact on golf but sparks discussions on the relative ranking of athletes across diverse sports.

Tiger Woods has confirmed that he will play PGA Tour Champions events when he turns 50, according to comments made by Padraig Harrington.

Tiger Woods has plans to play senior golf. 

At least that is the contention of multiple major champion Padraig Harrington.

“I met Tiger recently and he said he was looking forward to coming out onto the Champions Tour,” Harrington said.

“I think his words were, ‘I can’t wait to beat you out on the Champions Tour’, or something like that.

Woods is now 48 years old and will be eligible to compete on the PGA Tour Champions circuit when he turns 50.

And he would also be able to use a golf cart. Whether he does that remains to be seen.

Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus hinted in previous interviews that Woods would be willing to use one.

Woods doubles down

The 2024 Open Championship marked Woods’ eighth start in a major since his car crash three years ago.

His results do not make for pretty reading.

In fact, it’s quite hard to watch the golfer being a bit-part player on a stage he owned for so long.

Woods made a shocking return to the sport in the 2022 Masters at Augusta National.

Since then, his results in the majors reads as follows:

• PGA Championship at Southern Hills – WD
• The Open at St Andrews – MC
• The Masters – WD
• The Masters – 60th
• PGA Championship at Valhalla – MC
• U.S. Open at Pinehurst No.2. – MC
• The Open – MC

There was one immediate question after his latest performance at Royal Troon.

Why is he doing this to himself? 

There are other questions as well.

What pleasure does he derive from these performances? What does he have to prove?

In fact, he was positive about the future.

“I’ve gotten better, even though my results really haven’t shown it,” he said.

“I just need to keep progressing like that and then eventually start playing more competitively and start getting into kind of the competitive flow again.

“I’m going to just keep getting physically better and keep working on it.”

“I’ve always loved playing major championships,” he said. “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.”

Woods has also confirmed he will be at The Open next year when the major heads to Royal Portrush in Ireland.

It was suggested by Colin Montgomerie that Tiger Woods should call time on his playing career ahead of The Open, and one fan at Royal Troon made their feelings known on the matter

“Prove Monty wrong!” was the cry on the first tee at Royal Troon as Tiger Woods got his first round of The Open Championship underway on Thursday.

Woods is making just his fifth start of the year this week, as the 82-time PGA Tour champion continues to play a part-time schedule amid struggles over his fitness. His injury setbacks have unsurprisingly hampered his game in recent years, and heading into this week’s event his future was questioned.

Woods’ former rival in Colin Montgomerie suggested it could well be time for the 15-time major winner to call time on his playing days, telling The Times: “I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him.

“There is none of that now. At Pinehurst, he did not seem to enjoy a single shot and you think ‘What the hell is he doing?’.” Questions Woods’ previous claims that he would only retire when he was no longer competitive, Montgomerie added: “Aren’t we there? I’d have thought we were past there.

Tiger Woods has dismissed suggestions that he should retire from professional golf as he prepares to mount a challenge for the British Open, which begins at Royal Troon on Thursday.

The American golfer won the last of his 15 majors at the 2019 Masters, with his most recent professional victory coming later that year at the Zozo Championship. Since then, he has faced significant challenges, particularly after a car accident in 2021 that nearly resulted in the loss of his right leg.

After missing the cut at last month’s US Open, former world number two Colin Montgomerie, who famously never won a major, suggested it might be time for the 82-time PGA Tour event winner to retire.

“There is a time for all sportsmen to say goodbye, but it’s very difficult to tell Tiger Woods it’s time to go,” Montgomerie said. “Obviously, he still feels he can win. We are more realistic.”

When asked about those comments ahead of the Open at Royal Troon, Tiger Woods responded: “Well, as a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60. Colin’s not. He’s not a past champion, so he’s not exempt, so he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do. I’ll play as long as I can play, and I feel like I can still win the event.”

Asked if his belief in his ability to win had wavered during his struggles over the last two years, Woods replied: “No.”

His press conference comments prompted a swift response from Montgomerie. “If golf writers want my thoughts on Tiger, please ask me directly, rather than taking a quote from an interview out of context. Wishing Tiger Woods an enjoyable and successful week,” Montgomerie posted on X.

The former top golfer’s hopes of turning back the clock have not been helped by tournaments favouring the biggest hitters in the game as driving distances get longer. However, he believes that Royal Troon may play to his strengths. On this links course, accuracy has an edge over distance, boosting Woods’ chances of at least cutting.

“The older you get, the less you can carry the golf ball, but over here, you can run the golf ball 100 yards if you get the right wind and the right trajectory,” said Woods, who won the Open in 2000, 2005, and 2006.

“I think that’s one of the reasons why you see older champions up there on the board because they’re not forced to have to carry the ball 320 yards anymore. I’ve been training a lot better. We’ve been busting it pretty hard in the gym, which has been good.”

The 48-year-old dismissed retirement suggestions, having last won a major at the 2019 Masters and his most recent professional victory at the 2019 Zozo Championship.

Woods has faced significant struggles since a 2021 car accident that nearly cost him his right leg. After missing the cut at last month’s US Open, former world number two Colin Montgomerie suggested it might be time for Woods to retire. “There is a time for all sportsmen to say goodbye, but it’s very difficult to tell Tiger it’s time to go,” Montgomerie said. “Obviously, he still feels he can win. We are more realistic.”

In response, Woods stated, “Well, as a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60. Colin’s not. He’s not a past champion, so he’s not exempt, so he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do. I’ll play as long as I can play and I feel like I can still win the event.” When asked if his belief had wavered during recent struggles, Woods replied, “No.”

Montgomerie responded on X, stating, “If golf writers want my thoughts on Tiger, please ask me directly rather than taking a quote out of context. Wishing Tiger an enjoyable and successful week.”

Despite Woods’ confident statements, he is clearly no longer the dominant player he was for two decades. His chances of returning to form are not helped by the trend of tournaments favouring long drivers, but he believes Royal Troon could work to his advantage.

At Royal Troon, accuracy is more important than distance, which could boost Woods’ chances to make the cut. “The older you get, the less you can carry the ball, but on this course, you can let it roll,” said Woods, a three-time Open winner (2000, 2005, 2006).

He added, “That’s why older champions can still compete here. I’ve been working hard in the gym, and it’s helping my game.”

Woods also expressed confidence in Keegan Bradley as Ryder Cup captain for 2025. “I think Keegan will be a great leader; he’s very passionate about the event,” Woods said. He turned down the captaincy due to time constraints but said he might reconsider in the future: “When I have more time and can fully commit, I’ll put my hat in the ring again.”

Tiger Woods has revealed he feels jaded before Thursday’s first round of The Open Championship because he missed out on a night’s sleep on his private jet to Royal Troon as he watched the fallout of the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump.

Trump, 78, was millimetres away from death after a bullet grazed his ear during a rally in Pennsylvania on the weekend.

Woods, who was on a flight from his Florida home at the time the news broke, was absorbed in the coverage of the incident.

“I didn’t accomplish a lot because I wasn’t in the right frame of mind,” Woods said. “It was a long night [because of the assassination attempt] and that’s all we watched the entire time on the way over here. I didn’t sleep at all on the flight, and then we just got on the golf course.”

Trump was wounded after multiple shots were fired from a sniper, later identified as Thomas Crooks. One other person was killed and two more injured before the 20-year-old Crooks was shot dead by Secret Service agents.

Woods has not engaged in political debate throughout his career but revealed in 2018 that he had known President Trump for numerous years before he took office. Woods has helped design courses for a Trump property in Dubai.

‘We’ve played golf together’

“I’ve known Donald for a number of years,” Woods told the New York Times. “We’ve played golf together. We’ve had dinner together. I’ve known him pre-presidency and obviously during his presidency.”

Trump presented Woods with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019. He has also played rounds with another former president Barack Obama, whom Woods regarded as “incredible” for becoming the first African-American president in 2008.

This year will mark the first time since 2019 that Woods has competed in all four majors. He set the record for making his 24th consecutive cut at Augusta earlier this year before missing the cut at the US PGA Championship and the US Open.

Due to a catalogue of injuries – including the car crash three years ago that almost cost the 48-year-old his right leg – Woods takes hours to prepare for each round and so the draw has left him at a huge disadvantage.

It will be 8pm before he finishes his first round on Thursday and his Friday tee-time is 9.25am. His energy levels will be crucial to his hopes.

Tiger Woods didn’t sleep on Saturday night. The 15-time major champion said Tuesday that he was glued to a screen, watching for updates about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

“I didn’t accomplish a lot because I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. It was a long night, and that’s all we watched the entire time on the way over here,” Mr. Woods told BBC Sport. “I didn’t sleep at all on the flight, and then we just got on the golf course.”

Mr. Trump later wrote on social media that he was “fine” after a bullet grazed his right ear. The gunman also fatally shot a bystander, 50-year-old Corey Comperatore, according to authorities.

Mr. Woods, who flew to Scotland for this week’s British Open, has played golf with Mr. Trump in the past. The former president awarded Mr. Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019.

The legendary golfer has refused to publicly discuss his relationship with Mr. Trump.

“Well, he’s the president of the United States,” Mr. Woods said in 2019. “You have to respect the office. No matter who is in the office, you may like, dislike personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office.”

Mr. Woods will tee off at the British Open at 9:37 a.m. ET Thursday with Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay in his group.

The 15-time major champion is in line to compete in all four majors in one year for the first time since 2019

Tiger Woods arrived at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland on Sunday and played an 18-hole practice round as he prepares for the 152nd Open Championship later this week.

Reports said Woods took an overnight flight and spent much of his day focusing on chipping, putting and bunker play.

According to PGATour.com, Woods is also scheduled for a solo practice round Monday afternoon and a Tuesday round with Max Homa and Justin Thomas.

The 15-time major champion is in line to compete in all four majors in one year for the first time since 2019. A serious single-car accident in 2021 nearly cost him his leg and he has played a restricted schedule since, usually consisting of majors, the Genesis Invitational (his foundation’s event) and exhibitions like the PNC Championship.

Woods, 48, tied for sixth at The Open as recently as 2018, but he has competed just twice since, missing the cut in 2019 and 2022. An ankle surgery in April 2023 forced him to miss most of the season. In the first three majors of 2024, Woods placed 60th at the Masters and missed the cut at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.

Woods has played The Open at Royal Troon twice in his career. He tied for 24th in 1997 and tied for ninth in 2004. He was not in the field for the major’s most recent turn at Royal Troon in 2016.