As Tiger Woods arrived at Pinehurst No. 2 last week for his first look at the remodeled U.S. Open venue, one thing was abundantly clear – this famed Donald Ross course will pose a big challenge, perhaps like few others the 15-time major champion has faced in recent years.
“This golf course is going to test every single aspect of your game, especially mentally,” Woods said after practicing rounds over multiple days. “It’s going to take a lot.”
Indeed, Pinehurst has undergone a major restoration since Woods’ runner-up finish 19 years ago at the 2005 U.S. Open, his last competitive round on the property. The rough has been replaced by natural sandy areas and wire brush hazards.
For this year, the greens have been resurfaced from bent to Bermuda grass, potentially making them even firmer and more difficult to hold.
“Nothing can simulate what we have here this particular week,” Woods said about the unique preparation required, from hitting an array of recovery shots to navigating the turtleback greens.
At 48 years old and returning from numerous surgeries, including the leg injuries from his 2021 car crash, Woods has never had a longer gap between seeing a major venue he previously played.
His last U.S. Open was at Winged Foot in 2020.
With limited tournament reps under his belt, Woods understands just getting through 72 holes and making the cut will be an accomplishment this week. But the fire still burns to contend.
“I feel like I have the strength to be able to do it,” he said. “It’s just a matter of doing it.”
Outside the ropes, Woods has remained engaged with the PGA Tour’s efforts to chart a path forward amid the LIV Golf disruption. As vice-chair of the Tour’s business ventures, he participated in a recent meeting with Saudi backers about a potential partnership.
“We discussed a lot of different endings and how we get there,” Woods said cryptically. “Both sides shared a deep passion for how we need to get there.”
With son Charlie alongside him as an extra set of eyes, Woods continues grinding to prepare his game for perhaps the ultimate test in Pinehurst’s reimagined course. The U.S. Open has always represented a huge challenge to any golfer, and this year’s rendition may take that to unprecedented levels.
But if there’s one player who has continually embraced and overcome golf’s most arduous obstacles, it’s the man who has contended in more U.S. Opens than any other this century. Tiger’s latest act could be his most improbable yet as he bids to tame the treacherous Sandhills region one more time.