The first round of the Open Championship started off with some hope for Tiger Woods, who sat at 1-under par through three holes in tough conditions. It didn't take long for the day to unravel for the legendary golfer, however, as a pair of double-bogeys sent him spiraling down the leaderboard.
Regardless of how Woods is playing, he's always going to be a focus of the TV broadcast. Fans want to see him play, even on his worst days. How one broadcaster handled Woods' struggles Thursday, however, is now coming under fire.
Sky Sports announcer Mark Roe made a controversial comment about Woods as the 48-year-old struggled to keep up at Royal Troon. Roe's remark led to criticism as some believed it was a reference to Woods' struggles with addiction.
Here's a look at what Roe said and why it has fans looking for answers.
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Tiger Woods-Mark Roe comments, explained
Roe speculated that Woods was taking "quite a lot of painkillers" Thursday, making the comment while covering Woods' group at the Open Championship.
"You look at the eyes, you gotta think that there’s quite a lot of painkillers being taken to cope with the pain," Roe said, adding that it is "not easy" for the 48-year-old.
🎙️Featured groups announcers on Tiger Woods: “You look at the eyes, you gotta think there’s a lot of painkillers being taken.”
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) July 18, 2024
Thoughts on this?
pic.twitter.com/CeevVbLR1t
While the comment might have been intended as an innocuous reminder of how many health issues Woods has endured just to keep playing golf, the comment wasn't received well in part because Woods has a history of addiction to painkillers. Prescription painkillers were found in his system when he was arrested for DUI in 2017, and Woods eventually checked into rehab to deal with a painkiller addiction.
Many fans specifically took issue with Roe saying that it was visible in Woods' eyes. It's possible Roe was just making the point that Woods appeared to be playing through pain, but the implication that the golfer has any kind of dazed look about him did not sit well with viewers.
Woods started his first round at Royal Troon at 1-under par through three holes, but he followed up a bogey at No. 4 with a double-bogey at No. 5 as he struggled to keep pace with the rest of the field.
Woods has been through numerous health challenges in recent years, from chronic back issues to a 2021 car accident that injured both legs and gave way to serious ankle troubles.
Who is Mark Roe?
Roe is a 61-year-old former golfer who now works as a broadcaster for Sky Sports. He turned professional in 1981 and appeared in the Open Championship 12 times.
Roe finished as high as 13th at the U.S. Open in 1995, but his biggest claim to fame might be a scorecard issue that knocked him out of the Open Championship in 2003. Roe and his playing partner forgot to exchange scorecards and therefore both signed the wrong card. That knocked the pair out of the tournament. Roe was just two strokes off the lead when he was eliminated from the event.
That would be the final major of Roe's career, though he was praised for how he handled the firestorm. The rule was later changed so golfers wouldn't be disqualified under similar circumstances.
MORE: Revisiting Rory McIlroy's worst Open Championship finishes
Tiger Woods DUI arrest
Woods was arrested in Florida for driving under the influence in May of 2017. The toxicology report found five drugs in his system, including two prescription painkillers.
The initial statement released by Woods claimed the arrest was the result of an "unexpected reaction" to prescription medications, and he ultimately said he was taking painkillers to deal with back issues while admitting he should have consulted his medical team. Woods underwent back surgery more than a month before the arrest.
Woods later entered a rehab program that allowed the DUI charge to be dropped, though he pleaded guilty to a reckless driving charge stemming from the incident.
Tiger Woods scandal
Woods is a golfing legend in every sense of the world, but his career was rocked by an infidelity scandal in 2009.
The scandal was unearthed after Woods crashed his truck down the street from his home in the middle of the night. Media outlets quickly put the pieces together and reported that Woods was cheating on his wife, Elin Nordegren, causing Woods to admit to having multiple affairs.
Woods and Nordegren would later divorce, with Woods losing a handful of sponsorships during the fallout of the scandal.
Woods' career was arguably never the same from that point on, though age, back issues and later a serious car crash were also factors in his struggle to reclaim his place at the pinnacle of the golf world.
Woods did return to glory in 2019 when he won won the Masters for the fifth time in his career; that is still his only major championship since the 2009 scandal.
