When peak Tiger Woods had the ultimate response after being denied entry at the Open
MELBOURNE, VIC - DECEMBER 14: A smiling Tiger Woods of team USA during round 3 of The Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club on December 14, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Speed Media/Icon Sportswire GOLF: DEC 14 PGA, Golf Herren - Presidents Cup PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxDENxONLY Icon19121460275
MELBOURNE, VIC - DECEMBER 14: A smiling Tiger Woods of team USA during round 3 of The Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club on December 14, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Speed Media/Icon Sportswire GOLF: DEC 14 PGA, Golf Herren - Presidents Cup PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxDENxONLY Icon19121460275
A security guard once asked Tiger Woods for his credentials at The Open Championship. Woods didn't reach for a badge. He pointed to a billboard.
The story resurfaced on Thursday when GiveMeSport recalled golfer Michael Kim's words on the event.
It dates back to the mid-2000s, the period when Woods was at the absolute peak of his powers, and captures exactly the kind of moment that defines his legend away from the course.
May 13, 2012 - Ponte Vedra, Florida, USA - Tiger Woods during the final round of the Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass on May 13, 2012 in Ponte Vedra, Fla. ..ZUMA PRESS/ Scott A. Miller. Copyright: xScottxA.xMillerx
May 13, 2012 - Ponte Vedra, Florida, USA - Tiger Woods during the final round of the Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass on May 13, 2012 in Ponte Vedra, Fla. ..ZUMA PRESS/ Scott A. Miller. Copyright: xScottxA.xMillerx
Kim laid it out in his own words. "At the Open Championship, players get a clip as credentials to get them into the locker room and everywhere else. Mid-2000s, Tiger forgot his clip one day, and he was walking into the locker room when the security person stopped him, asking for his credentials. Tiger looks around, sees a massive billboard with his name and face on it, points to it, says, 'That's my credentials', and walked into the locker room."
With just three words, Woods avoided any argument, pointed to the billboard, and walked into the locker room.
Woods won The Open three times, in 2000, 2005, and 2006. The billboard incident happened in the mid-2000s, around the same time he won back-to-back Open titles in 2005 and 2006.
And while he's not at Royal Birkdale, Woods is still watching the event
After his accident earlier this year, Tiger Woods will be missing out on The Open's return at Royal Birkdale. However, that hasn't kept him from keeping an eye on the event.
Watching the hometown hero, Woods gave a shootout to Tommy Fleetwood, as he makes an attempt to win his first ever major. Taking to X, Fleetwood wrote, "Lookin' good out there."
Now, while most thought it was about Fleetwood's performance, it was really about his apparel. As fans may know, Fleetwood is an apparel free agent, and at Royal Birkdale, he wore a t-shirt from Woods' Sun Day Red.
Written by
Sneha Abraham
Edited by
Siddharth Shirwadkar