Tiger Woods has not yet entered the Open but R&A chief executive Peter Dawson expects the world number one will be at St Andrews in July to attempt to become the first man in 150 years of the championship to win three Claret Jugs on the Old Course.
Dawson said he normally wouldn’t expect to have received Wood’s entry by now the closing date is May 27 but admitted he was “relieved that we won’t have to be the guinea pig” for the three-time champion’s return to golf after the revelations about his private life during the winter.
“He’s already come back at the Masters and he appears to have a pretty full playing schedule, so I would expect that the novelty will have worn off by the time he comes to St Andrews, as I fully expect he will,” said Dawson at the R&A clubhouse as part of the annual Open media day on Tuesday.
No extra security measures to accommodate Woods were planned as yet but the R&A would study his reception by the galleries at various tournaments between now and the championship to be staged from July 15-18 and take police advice nearer to the time.
“I don’t think he’ll get a negative reaction from the Open galleries, but I might be wrong about that,” continued Dawson.
“It didn’t happen in Augusta — the reception for him there was measured if not wildly enthusiastic, I thought.”
The chief executive has described himself in the past as “Tiger’s biggest fan” and said that still was true of Woods’ golf game.Conduct”I’m very sad about what has happened, as he clearly is,” he said. “There’s been a lot of talk from people who said they knew what was going on but I certainly had no idea and I don’t know anyone in the game who did.
“His conduct on the course had deteriorated, and those of us who care for the etiquette of the game could not have liked that, but on the other hand we don’t know what somebody of his ability and achievements has to do to psyche themselves to play.
“As far as the galleries go, as long as what people say isn’t abusive or intrusive to play, then they can say what they like. Putting off the players is a different matter obviously.
“In previous times we’ve had extra people out with his game and on occasion they’ve had to stop people getting a bit over-zealous. We’ll take police advice on what we need to do.”
There are no plans by anyone at the R&A to make any comment on Woods’ conduct, in the vein of Augusta National chairman Billy Payne’s speech on the eve of the Masters earlier this month.
“It was Tiger’s first tournament back, and it must have been a difficult decision for Billy whether to comment or not,” said Dawson. “Once he had made the decision to speak about it, I thought his comments were measured and well crafted.
“The Masters had a major problem in having no idea what to expect might happen. If it had been us we would have been scratching our heads.”
Woods has indicated he will play in the second Champions Challenge, a four-hole exhibition on the eve of the championship to which all 32 living Open champions have been invited to mark the 150th anniversary of the first Open at Prestwick in 1860.
Jack Nicklaus had indicated at the Masters that he would not come unless asked to by sponsors RBS, but Dawson said they had not had any contact from the three-time champion.
“I didn’t hear his comments, and it may be an issue between him and RBS, who are a patron of the championship,” continued Dawson.
“I recall we had to persuade Jack to come in 2000, but he enjoyed the occasion greatly and we would hope he would come this year.Success”That said, Arnold Palmer did not come in 2000 and the Champions Challenge we had then was a huge success.”
Arnie has accepted his invitation this time, and only three past champions have declined Kel Nagle, the oldest living champion at 90 who is unable to travel from Australia, Johnny Miller (work commitments) and Nick Price (family commitments).
Other than Nicklaus, Greg Norman is the only one not to have confirmed or declined his invitation and the sole issue with the Great White Shark was whether he would have recovered from a recent shoulder operation, Dawson said, but Severiano Ballesteros, winner at St Andrews in 1984 and struggling with his health after four brain operations, had responded.
“Seve was the first of our former champions to contact us requesting accommodation details,” said the chief executive. “I don’t know the current state of his recovery but he seems absolutely determined to be there.”
To mark the 150th anniversary of the championship the first at Prestwick had just eight competitors a replica of the original Open trophy, the Champion’s Belt, will be presented to the winner of this year’s championship.
The original belt was given in perpetuity to Young Tom Morris when he won it three times in a row from 1868-1870.
The famous Claret Jug now given to Open champions was first presented in 1872.