Tiger Woods, a 15-time Major winner sidelined after rupturing his left Achilles tendon in March, warned US Open golfers in a social media video on Wednesday that there’s “no faking” about Oakmont.
The 49-year-old American, a three-time US Open champion, underwent surgery to repair the injury but has no timetable for his return to competitive golf as he misses the US Open for the fourth time in five years.
In an Instagram post, Woods gave this week’s US Open field some advice about coping with the deep rough, tricky bunkers and fast greens of Oakmont, as well as a warning.
“You just have to hit the golf ball better,” Woods said. “There is no faking about Oakmont.
“The golf course is big, yes, but it’s just – there’s no way around it. You just have to hit the golf ball well and it favours longer hitters, just because of the degrees, the complexes.”
Being in the fairway to properly approach the greens is crucial as well, Woods said.
“It just helps so much to be coming with a shorter iron, to be able to sock the ball,” he said. “It’s about missing the ball on correct spots … because if you don’t, it’s horrible.”
Woods shared second at the 2007 US Open at Oakmont but missed the 2016 edition of the event on the same course following back surgery the year before.
Woods has not made the cut at the US Open since he shared 21st in 2019, the same year he won his most recent major title at The Masters.
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© Agence France-Presse
Photo: Donald Miralle/Getty Images
