Open Championship 2022: Tee times, prize money, TV coverage as Tiger Woods heads field at St Andrews

Updated 13/07/2022 at 12:59 GMT

The Open Championship is back where it all began at the home of golf in St Andrews. The Old Course will play host to the 150th iteration and Tiger Woods is back for a crack at a third win at the course and fourth Open. He has no form at all, as he continues his comeback from serious injury but course knowledge counts for a lot.

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Tiger Woods is one of the star attractions as the Open Championship returns to the home of golf at St Andrews.

Woods has won the Open three times, two of which were on the Old Course at St Andrews, but victory this week would be the ultimate achievement.

The former world No. 1 has a reputation for comebacks, but victory in 2022 would top anything achieved before given he is still dealing with injury following a car crash in 2021.

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His two competitive appearances this year have seen him struggle to walk, as he finished 47th at the Masters and withdrew from the US PGA Championship after three rounds.

Course knowledge at St Andrews will give Woods an edge, but much will depend on how the body holds up over the course of four rounds.

Woods played a practice round in Ireland with Rory McIlroy, and those two will vie for most-followed player this week.

McIlroy has unfinished business at St Andrews, as he won the championship at Hoylake in 2014 but was denied the chance to defend on the Old Course after damaging his ankle playing football.

The Irishman does not have the Old Course knowhow of Woods, but what he does have is excellent recent form.

McIlroy had top-10 finishes in all three majors this season, and was in the winners’ enclosure at the Canadian Open last month.

Collin Morikawa arrives in Scotland as the defending champion, and follows a similar pattern to 12 months ago as he played badly at the Scottish Open before triumphing at Royal St George’s.

Padraig Harrington was the most recent person to defend the Open, when winning for the second time in 2008.

Course: Old Course, St Andrews

Woods has described it as his favourite course in the world. For someone who has won 15 majors and 82 PGA Tour events, that is quite the statement.

There is talk that the Old Course is not suited to the modern game, as technological advances mean many of the holes are at the mercy of the big hitters on a course that stretches out to 7,313 yards.

Those who adopt that view could be left with egg on their faces, as the Old Course has the defence of fast and firm conditions. Yes players could look to overpower it, but firm fairways and greens are a huge challenge.

And if the wind blows, as it has during the practice days, St Andrews takes on the look of a different beast.

The fairways are wide and greens vast, but that does not always translate to low scoring.

It has hosted the Open on 29 occasions and being the home of golf, it will host many more.

Prize Money: Total fund of $14.5 million, with winner’s share being $2,500,000

Format: 72-hole strokeplay. Four-hole aggregate if play-off is required.

Course records: 72 holes, 269, Tiger Woods (2010). 18 holes, 61, Ross Fisher (2017)

TV Coverage: The Open Championship is live on Sky Sports in the UK

Key Quotes

Jon Rahm: “The time I've played here before, it was soft. And I remember the moment the first time I played in competition was into the wind, I hit a driver and 9-iron. Highly doubt that's going to happen today. So I think a lot of experience comes from playing here enough, but I don't think you ever see it in these conditions. So even when people have played in the past, you're hitting different shots into the tee. The greens are reacting different. It's still a learning process when it's playing this firm. I think, if anything, it almost evens out the field a little more.”

Rory McIlroy: “I've only played one Open here before. I got off to a great start and got caught out in wind not too dissimilar to what's out there today. Yeah, I'm playing well. I'm in good form. My confidence in my game is as high as it's been in quite a while. I can't go in here thinking that this might be my time. I just have to go out and play a really good tournament. I've got to string four good rounds together, and hopefully at the end of the week, that's good enough to win.”

Tiger Woods: “Well, my body certainly can get better, but realistically, not a whole lot. It's been through a lot, and at 46 you don't quite heal as well as you do at 26. So it is what it is. Just lucky enough to, in our sport, to be able to play as long as we are able to play late into the 40s, especially on links golf courses like this, you can continue into your 50s. We saw Tom have it on his putter to win late in his 50s. So it can be done. It just takes a lot of knowledge and understanding of how to play this type of golf. And with the fairways being fast and firm, it allows players who are older to run the ball out there and have a chance.”