Tiger hits an approach shot at Hoylake during a practice round prior to the start of The Open. He may have played little golf this season, but he has not set his sights for the Open Championship any lower. Photography: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Tiger was the winner of the Open Championship in 2006 at Hoylake, and when asked where an acceptable finish would be this year, he said ‘First.’ Photography: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

In his press conference with the media, Tiger said of his game ‘ It’s getting better. Playing at Congressional was a big boost to me. The fact that I was able to go at it that hard and hit it like that with no pain. It wasn’t like that the previous time I played.’ Photography: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Tiger tees off during a practice session ahead of the Open, feeling confident that he is back to full fitness and that rustiness will not be a problem. Photograpy: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Tiger Woods chats to caddie Joe LaCava during a practice round of the Hoylake course. Photography: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Tiger spoke today about his recent progress, saying ‘Playing at both the Honda and Doral I did not feel well. But to come back and be able to hit the ball as hard as I was able to hit it. I’ve gotten stronger since then, I’ve gotten more explosive, I’ve gotten faster since then.’ Photography: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Tiger seemed to feel entirely self-confident and it was clear that only victory would be satisfactory during the 2014 Open Championships. Photography: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images