Tiger Woods’ former coach says The Open Championship remains the golfer's 'best chance to ever win again'

Tiger Woods' former coach Hank Haney recently claimed that the Open Championship remains the veteran golfer's best chance to win again. He added that, given Woods' performance so far this season, it was a now-or-never situation for him.

Tiger Woods is set to compete in his fifth event this season at the Open Championship. This season's fourth and last Major will begin on Thursday, July 18, at the Royal Troon Golf Club. Hank Haney is the veteran instructor who coached Woods from 2004 to 2010.

On Monday, July 15, Hank Haney wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that, contrary to popular belief, the Masters Tournament wasn't Tiger's best chance to win again. Instead, it was the upcoming Open Championship.

"A lot of people thought Augusta was Tiger’s best chance to ever win again," he stated. "It’s wasn’t, it was always the Open Championship for multiple reasons, he can hit shots like this, slower greens mean fewer 3 putts and no one has more knowledge about playing links golf.

"Based on what he’s done so far this year it’s kind of looking like now or never. His swing looks really good in practice," he added.

Haney knows Tiger quite well, given their successful six-year relationship. His tenure with Woods marked a resurgence for the golfer, as they won 31 titles together. These wins included six Major championships, notably back-to-back Open Championships in 2005 and 2006.

Since their split, Tiger Woods has won only 11 more titles, with the 2019 Masters Tournament being his only major championship win. His last victory came four years ago at the Zozo Championship. With 82 wins on the PGA Tour, he is tied with Sam Snead as the winningest player on the Tour. Additionally, he is three titles behind Jack Nicklaus to become the winningest player in Major championships.

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How many times has Tiger Woods won the Open Championship?

Tiger Woods has won the Open Championship three times in his career. His first win came in 2000, beating Thomas Bjørn and Ernie Els by a whopping eight-stroke margin. This was one of the four Majors he won during his "Tiger Slam."

Woods' next win came five years later when he triumphed over Colin Montgomerie by five shots. The following year, he successfully defended his Open Championship title, beating Chris DiMarco, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, and Sergio García by two strokes. This was an emotional win for him, as it was his first Major championship triumph since his father's death.

Overall, Tiger has made 18 cuts in 22 appearances at the Open including 10 top-10 finishes.