Tiger Woods has said he is here to win.
Tom Watson believes him. The trademark boldness and confidence of Woods doesn’t usually raise an eyebrow given his dominance of modern day golf.
But a player sidelined by back surgery for months, and without a major for a good deal longer, doesn’t have the game to back it up anymore in the eyes of many.
However, veteran five-time champion Watson insisted that Woods is still the name the rest of the Open field will pay most attention to when play starts on Thursday.
The back may not be as strong as it once was, but the aura is still there.
Watson said: “Why can’t you understand that Tiger might very well win this tournament?
“Just put it this way, I wouldn’t write off Tiger Woods for a long time, the way he plays the game. He’s a tough competitor. He knows how to swing the golf club.
“And, yes, he’s had some injuries and other things, issues, but the thing is, he’s had a long career, and I fully expect it to be a longer career,” he said.
“You have to respect what his capabilities have been and probably will be again. It’s not fear. It’s respect.
“When I was playing golf, it was always, there’s Jack on the leaderboard, on that yellow leaderboard. Where’s Jack? That’s the first name I looked up there. It was always Jack. Throughout my entire career it was Jack first.
“And I guarantee you that these players looking at these new electronic scoreboards are going to be looking for Tiger Woods’ name.”
If Watson is going to see his own name on an Open leaderboard, it will have to be this year or next. The US Ryder Cup captain has been granted a special one-year exemption so that he can play at St Andrews in 12 months.
But after that, his Open story will be at an end and he fears it will be a tearful one.
“I had real strong feelings about when I crossed the bridge with Jack Nicklaus in his final round in the Open championship at St Andrews,” the 64-year-old recalled.
“I was honoured and I’m very grateful for the R&A to extend that to me.
“St Andrews is the Sistine Chapel of golf, from a historical perspective. If I’m getting too sugary, stop me. I’ve grown to love the golf course, and the community around it.
“The University of St Andrews is a very special place. The town is a very special place. We’ve had wonderful experiences there, my friends and family. And to end my Open career there . . .
“People say, it may not be the end but, let’s face it, it’s probably going to be the end of my Open Championship career. It means a great deal. I just hope I can hold back enough of the tears to look presentable.”
No golfer bestrides the golfing generations like Watson. He can reminisce about Nicklaus, Palmer et al in one breath, and then offer up views on his prospective Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles the next.
On that subject, captain Watson was satisfied with his weekend trip to Perthshire, where he played the PGA Centenary Course with some potential team members.
“I got a really good feel for the golf course,” he said.
“And I also got to see two different types of players play. Keegan Bradley played on Saturday. And Keegan can really hit the ball a long way and hit the ball high.
“And then Jim Furyk, who doesn’t hit the ball quite as far, and played from a shorter position.
“My estimation of the golf course was wrong in the past. The golf course is really a good golf course. It’s in wonderful shape. The greens are in great shape.
“The way I assess it, if we have decent weather there will be a lot of birdies made in the Ryder Cup. We’ll see some fireworks there.”