CNN
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Tiger Woods said he endured a sleepless flight to the Open Championship after watching coverage of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
The 48-year-old golfer set off from Florida on Saturday for the 152nd edition of the major in Scotland this week, but was left weary for his first practice round at Royal Troon on Sunday after closely following developments at the former president’s rally in Pennsylvania.
“I didn’t accomplish a lot because I wasn’t in the right frame of mind,” Woods told BBC Sport on Tuesday.
“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.”
Fifteen-time major champion Woods was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2019 – shortly after his comeback win at the Masters – by Trump, who was wounded in the shooting that saw one rally attendee killed and two others seriously injured.
Trump, an avid golfer, has a long history with Woods, with the pair playing numerous rounds together over the years. Asked about his purported friendly relationship with the then-president in 2018, Woods replied: “Well, he’s the president of the United States.”
“No matter who is in the office, you may like, dislike personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office,” he added, according to Yahoo Sports.
Woods teed off in pursuit of a fourth Open Championship victory on Thursday, having lifted the Claret Jug in 2000, 2005 and 2006.
It would be a shock win on his 23rd appearance at the major, given Woods’ persistent battles with injuries and rehabilitation following leg injuries in a 2021 car crash that have contributed to sporadic competitive appearances.
The 82-time PGA Tour winner has endured a difficult major season, having finished 60th at the Masters before missing the cut at both the PGA Championship and US Open.
Nevertheless, Woods remains adamant he will play as long as he feels like he can win, shunning suggestions by former world No. 2 Colin Montgomerie that he should consider retiring.
“Well, as a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60. Colin’s not,” Woods told reporters Tuesday, referencing the fact that he has earned automatic qualification for the major through his past victories at the event.
“He’s not a past champion, so he’s not exempt. So he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do.”
