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Tiger Woods began his week at the final major of the season in fiery form.
There was a blistering riposte to Colin Montgomerie’s retirement call, as well a familiarly blunt response to the questions about his realistic prospects of winning again.
“I’ll play as long as I can play and I feel like I can still win the event,” he declared at The Open.
Yet Woods would toil again at Royal Troon, the ailing 48-year-old shooting 79-77 around the brutally difficult Ayrshire links to miss his third straight major cut of the season.
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Michael Campbell, one of Woods’ former rivals, used to think the 15-time major champion was “almost untouchable”. Right now, he pities him.
“It’s a real shame. Through my whole career I played a lot with him. He was awesome. To see how he’s playing now… I feel sorry for him,” Campbell tells bunkered.co.uk.
Campbell famously defeated Woods to win the 2005 US Open at Pinehurst, during the period where he was at the very peak of his powers.
For the New Zealander, the Woods problem is an obvious one.
“He’s played four times this year and played poorly,” Campbell explains. “It’s hard for Tiger to come back and only play the majors on the four toughest golf courses.
“He needs to maybe rethink his schedule because you can’t do that. I know he’s Tiger Woods but he can’t just go into a tournament having not played for three or four months and come back and expect to play well. It’s the major issue he has.”
That’s where the PGA Tour Champions comes in.
In two years’ time, Woods will be eligible for the US over 50s circuit and many of his former colleagues are already waiting with bated breath over what would be a transformational arrival.
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Campbell, however, is more interested in how Woods can use these 54-hole events to get competitive for the ones that matter to him the most.
“It would be great for the Champions Tour to have him on board,” he says. “With the Champions Tour its only three rounds of golf and he’s on a cart which is going to help him with his injuries.
“He may use the events as a warm up towards the major. He’s got a scorecard in his back pocket and he’s not putting too much strain on his leg so there’s a chance he could do that building up to the Open or the Masters. To me, it’s a no-brainer.”
Woods, of course, has dismissed any prospects that he will step away completely just yet. He has already confirmed his plans to play next year’s Open at Royal Portrush and, in theory, still has 12 attempts left to win a fourth Claret Jug as a past champion.
And while he recognises it might be an increasingly unpopular opinion, Campbell is still convinced Woods has the game to lift the silver chalice one more.
“Tom Watson really proved a point back in 2009 when he nearly won the Open at 59,” Campbell says, referring to his gut-wrenching defeat to Stewart Cink at Turnberry. “That’s where I think Tiger’s mind is right now.
“He’s not as long as he used to be. The only tournament that he could win where length isn’t a factor and it’s more about game management is an Open. I still think he can win a major.
“The Open isn’t about length but its about hitting your targets. It’s going to be tough for him but I still think it’s possible. If you think about Tom Watson, he hardly played at all. He played a few Champions Tour events but he wasn’t playing much.
“I still think he’s got a great high percentage [chance] of winning an Open.”
Michael Campbell was speaking with bunkered at the Farmfoods British Par-3 Championship at Nailcote Hall.
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