Tiger Woods Issues Big Advice to Rory McIlroy & Co. as He Names the 'Enemy' at the Open

Tiger Woods says the biggest “enemy” Rory McIlroy and other contenders will face at the Open Championship is not another golfer, but the wind. Speaking with Sun Day Red with the major set to start in five days at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Woods explained that link-style golf makes the ground a friend while the air becomes the challenge. He cited past Opens where harsh conditions disrupted his play, including an 81 in the third round at Muirfield in 2002 amid brutal winds and sideways rain, and a missed cut in 2015 at St Andrews when gusts affected ball flight. Woods also pointed to a recent warning sign: at the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, he noted Scottie Scheffler struggled despite an early three-birdie start, finishing with five bogeys and one double bogey to miss the cut. As defending champion, Scheffler returns to Royal Birkdale needing preparation for windy conditions.