Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy play Ballybunion before The Open

Tiger Woods was coy about his pre-Open plans after competing in the JP McManus Pro-Am on Monday and Tuesday.

After shooting 77-74 in the charity exhibition, Woods told reporters that he had a plan to play some links but would not elaborate on where.

“I don’t want to tell you because I don’t want everyone coming down and watching us,” Woods said Tuesday at Adare Manor.

A round of golf with Woods and Rory McIlroy can never stay secret for long, however, and on Thursday we learned that a round at Ballybunion was part of the itinerary after photos and videos of the pair of two-time FedExCup champs emerged on social media.

Trips to Ireland have been part of Woods’ Open prep since he turned pro. Early in his career, he would play golf and go flyfishing in Ireland with Mark O’Meara and other veterans.

On Woods’ first Ireland trip in 1999, Payne Stewart made a hole-in-one at Ballybunion during a round with Woods and O’Meara.

“I’ve always loved coming to Ireland,” Woods said Tuesday. “We’ve had some great times.”

Those rounds, of course, were also important preparation for the unique challenge that links presents.

“I've come here on several occasions to not only get over the time zone but get used to links golf,” Woods said. “It is a different kind of game. I mean, it's played on the ground and it's totally different. Yardages are generally thrown out the window.”

The Open will be Woods’ first start since withdrawing from the third round of the PGA Championship. He admitted that he skipped the U.S. Open to ensure he could participate in this Open, which is the 150th edition of golf’s oldest major and being played at the Home of Golf. Videos from his round at Ballybunion showed him riding in a cart, a rarity on the links of the British Isles.

“The plan was to play the U.S. Open but physically I was not able to do that,” Woods said Tuesday. “I had some issues with my leg and it would have put this tournament in jeopardy.

“This is a pretty historic Open that we are going to be playing. I’m lucky enough to be part of the past champions that have won there. … I don’t know when they are ever going to go back while I’m still able to play at a high level and I want to be able to give it at least one more run.”

Two of Woods’ three wins in The Open have come at the Old Course. He won by eight shots in 2000 during the Tiger Slam and returned five years later for a five-shot win.