The 2023 Open Championship is set to kick off later this month. Ahead of the event, a golfer named Tiger qualified for the event, but it isn’t the one that most fans were hoping to see.
Fans would obviously love to see legendary golfer Tiger Woods compete in the event. Unfortunately, he has already announced that he will not be competing in the event as he recovers from fusion surgery on his right foot and ankle in April.
Instead, fans will have to settle for another Tiger in the event. Arizona Wildcats junior Tiger Christensen qualified for the event after finishing in fourth place at West Lancashire Golf Club, a qualifying tournament for the event. He earned one of five qualifying spots at a tourney in Liverpool, England, shooting a 9-under 135 through two rounds.
Next stop: @TheOpen
Congratulations to @ArizonaMGolf's Tiger Christensen, who today qualified for this summer's Open Championship! pic.twitter.com/fzLWNOj4H8
— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) July 4, 2023
Christensen has a truly spectacular story that could appeal to fans looking for an underdog to root for in The Open. He appeared in eight tournaments for the Wildcats in his Sophomore year, averaging just the second-best score on the team in his collegiate tournament appearances.
A major event like The Open Championship traditionally doesn’t set up well for amateur players, but it isn’t impossible for Tiger Christensen to make an impact in the event.
John Ball, Harold Hilton, and Bobby Jones are the only amateurs to ever win the tournament. Bobby Jones hold the last amateur win, coming back in 1930.
[Arizona Athletics on Twitter]
