Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland speaks in a press conference during a practice round prior to The 150th Open at St Andrews Old Course on July 12, 2022 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)

Experience breeds confidence in golf and as Rory McIlroy tiptoed through the media minefield at St Andrews, Tiger Woods gave a performance worthy of his standing in the game.

Conscious of the historic importance of The 150th Open, the three-time champion and 15-time Major winner made good on pre-Championship rumours he would fillet LIV Golf by not only elegantly dissecting Greg Norman’s latest effort to destroy the game’s traditions but also issuing a dire warning to those mulling a move.

“Greg has done some things that I don't think is in the best interest of our game, and we're coming back to probably the most historic and traditional place in our sport,” he said of the R&A’s decision not to invite the Australian to Monday’s Celebration of Champions or last night’s Champions Dinner. “I believe it's the right thing.”

For Woods, history and tradition are everything in the game.

“It's hard to believe, it's been 150 years we've played this tournament,” Woods said of the Open’s storied history. “It's hard to believe it's more historic, but it really is. It does feel like that. This does feel like it's the biggest Open Championship we've ever had.”

He’s not retiring but he knows this could be his last Open at St Andrews in something more than a ceremonial role.

“I don't know how many Open Championships I have left here at St Andrews, but I wanted this one,” he said. “It started here for me in '95, and if it ends here in '22, it does. If it doesn't, it doesn't. If I get the chance to play one more, it would be great, but there's no guarantee.”

He will always be welcome but he warned the potential LIV rebels the Majors may well shut the door to them.

“I just don't see how that move is positive in the long term for a lot of these players, especially if the LIV organisation doesn't get world-ranking points and the major championships change their criteria for entering the events,” he said

“It would be sad to see some of these young kids never get a chance to experience it and experience what we've got a chance to experience and walk these hallowed grounds and play in these championships.”

Fifty-four hole events with no cuts do not a champion make.

“I had to earn it every step of the way,” he said. “Nothing's ever given to you. You have to go out there and earn it, and I earned it through the dirt. I'm very proud of that.”

McIlroy has one Claret Jug and he while he knows he may never get a better chance to join the greats to win at the Home of Golf, he was at pains to make no grand statements or create any distracting noise.

“Yeah, I'm playing well,” said the world number two but arguably the best player in the world. “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.”

He knows it’s going to require Tiger-esque levels of skill and course management on an 83-acre chess board to get the job done.

“It's going to be a game of chess this week, and no one's been better at playing that sort of chess game on a golf course than Tiger over the last 20 years,” McIlroy said.

After nearly eight years in a Major-less desert, McIlroy taking up the baton from Woods here would be golf’s ultimate riposte to LIV.

"To hear your name and winner of the gold medal, Champion Golfer of the Year, it's what dreams are made of,” the 2014 champion said. "I still remember that pretty vividly. I'd love to replicate that on Sunday evening.”