Tiger vs. the Weather

On July 20, 2002, Tiger Woods watched his dream of a golfing grand slam wash away in the wind and rain in the third round of the British Open in Muirfield.

Known for its unpredictable weather, the course at Gullane, Scotland forced Tiger to suffer the worst round in his professional career as he shot a ten over par 81.

Woods had won the first two majors of the year and seemed destined to win golf’s Grand Slam, but the wet and windy conditions put an end to that.

Temperatures in the mid 50s and winds of 15-25 mph produced wind chills in the 30s. Golfers had to brace themselves against the increasing wind.

Tiger and the other leaders were penalized for their success in the first two rounds as the golfers with early tee times got started before heavy weather moved in on the course.

The rough weather kicked in right as Tiger stepped to the first tee. The best player in the world said that it was raining so hard it hurt.

Woods spent the entire day in the rough, resulting in 7 bogeys and 2 double bogeys. The weather finally let
up as Tiger finished his round.

In the land where golf was invented, cold and wind and rain are an expected part of the game. These are the elements of British golf. Scots and Brits and Irish pride themselves on being able to play in weather that American golfers disdain.

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