“Woods will try, but those he inspired will triumph at Troon”

As Tiger Woods walked up the steep slope of the seventh green, it was a great iconic figure arriving at one of golf’s most famous scenes: the tee of the hole they call the “postage stamp.”

His gait is awkward because his right foot had to be reconstructed after he nearly lost his leg in a car accident, and there is some stiffness in his movements because his back was surgically fused long ago.

But he still exudes an aura. Even when it’s just him and his caddie Lance Bennett on a Sunday scouting trip before a big week, Tiger exudes a certain presence.

The fans know it and he commands the biggest gallery as he still recovers from the effects of the overnight flight from Florida to the south Ayrshire coast where he plays the 152nd Open at Royal Troon this week.

This will be his 23rd Open and 95th major. He will insist he can compete even though compelling evidence suggests otherwise and the crowds will continue to flock to watch him, at 48.

There is still magic in the hands of those who have won 15 major trophies. From the elevated tee of Troon’s famous eighth hole, an area surrounded by a grandstand that runs the length of the shortest hole in the Open, he strikes with insouciance.

It’s a 123-yard wedge shot that follows the entire trajectory, lands, pops and stops three feet from the flag. Moments later, he casually hits the birdie putt.

It was on this hole that outside hopes had failed with a triple bogey in the last round. It was in 1997, when he was a Masters sensation and playing in his first Open as a professional.

He comes away wondering if this will be his last championship, with the likes of Colin Montgomerie suggesting it should be as he has moved past it.

On the ninth hole, he loses a ball in the right rough. In places, the grass is unbearably thick for this Open, but as frightening as it may seem, the rough has browned, it is more brittle than juicy and therefore potentially playable.

A few holes later, another ball search begins on the left of the par-5 16th. It’s reigning Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and his American compatriot and friend Sam Burns looking for an errant drive.

Those two American Ryder Cup players have also attracted a decent following and observers are looking to potential challengers this week – particularly Scheffler, who has already won six tournaments this year.

The Dallas-based star holds the dominant space in world golf that Woods once occupied.

But he was baffled by the capricious twists and turns of last month’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst, a rare event where he failed to unsettle the rankings makers.

Links golf can be just as unpredictable, especially if the wind blows as expected for Thursday’s tee time. Scheffler barely made the cut at Hoylake last year and finished outside the top 20 in just his third Open.

Rory McIlroy is the closest player to Scheffler in the world rankings and comes here having squandered a magnificent chance to end a losing streak at majors that will stretch more than a decade if he fails to win this week.

At Pinehurst, the four-time major champion led by two with five holes to go but bogeyed three of the final four holes as Bryson DeChambeau won his second U.S. Open crown.

McIlroy has the game, but his nerves will be tested like never before if he is in contention this week.

The 35-year-old Northern Irishman talks about “resilience” and might have won the Scottish Open last week if not for a putting stroke and green reading that still doesn’t quite match up to links greens.

Instead, local favourite Bob MacIntyre celebrated the biggest win of his career in style, taking advantage of a lucky fall on the 16th and some inspired play down the stretch to edge out Adam Scott.

MacIntyre has proven he has what it takes when he needs it most – an asset that has eluded McIlroy for far too long. Could the Scot keep it up? He has climbed to 16th in the world rankings and is arguably Britain’s biggest hope this week.

But Tommy Fleetwood is another player to consider in this category. The runner-up to Shane Lowry in 2019 at Royal Portrush has the ball-striking qualities for a drive that has lengthened by almost 200 yards since the Open was last held here in 2016.

Last week Fleetwood practised on the Renaissance Club green during the Scottish Open and if that work pays off the Englishman could make a major breakthrough.

He has been in the top 10 in four of the last six championships.

Lowry has made some nice progress in recent weeks and, on a course where chipping and wedge play will be put to the test, he could be in contention for a second Claret Jug. The Irishman finished joint sixth behind Xander Schauffele at May’s U.S. PGA Championship.

Schauffele, a former Scottish Open winner, has links credentials and is no longer the best player in the world without a major title. He and DeChambeau are the last two major winners and, therefore, significant threats this week.

The same could be said of Collin Morikawa, the 2021 debut champion at Royal St George’s and a regular in the major rankings this year. The 27-year-old Californian finished third at the Masters and fourth at the PGA Tour.

He was also in contention at the US Open before suffering another slump, dropping to 14th. On Sunday, he briefly shone at the Scottish Open before finishing joint fourth with McIlroy. His aim must be to maintain his 54-hole form over the full distance.

Speaking of 54 holes, DeChambeau leads the LIV Tour challenge, which will seek to show that a week amid the cork oaks of Valderrama in southern Spain is a good way to warm up for the final major of the year.

If so, it’s time to watch out for the in-form Tyrrell Hatton, who finished third behind Sergio Garcia last Sunday. Garcia did not qualify for the Open.

Cameron Smith, the 2022 champion, finished strongly in sixth place at the last LIV event, while former world number one Jon Rahm was 10th and remains winless since his 2023 Masters triumph.

Men’s professional golf remains divided between the official tours and the LIV Tour. Woods’ priority these days is negotiating the future of the game, the latest addition to his legacy.

In terms of his game, he’ll do his best in the next championship, but the reality is we’ll see the generation of big hitters he inspired: Scheffler, McIlroy, DeChambeau, Schauffele, Fleetwood, MacIntyre and company.

They are the ones who will try to write the new chapter of golf by fighting for the oldest and most prestigious trophy in the game.