Tiger admits he has work to do to get that winning feeling back
TIGER WOODS admits he will have plenty of homework to do as he looks to claim a 15th major title in the US PGA Championship. Woods was among the players due to compete at Bellerive Country Club in 2001 when the WGC-American Express Championship was cancelled due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The 42-year-old also missed the 2008 BMW Championships at the same venue due to injury and was only able to play five holes in practice before his pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday due to thunderstorms.
‘I literally haven’t set foot on this golf course since that week in 2001,’ Woods (below) said. ‘I didn’t get up here pre-British Open and yesterday [Monday] I took the day off. Today we only got in five holes and didn’t really get a chance to see a whole lot, so I’ll have to do some more homework tomorrow and get a good feel for what’s going on for the rest of the week.
‘I needed that day off. I spent a few times in the ice bath just trying to get some inflammation down and just trying to get ready for the rest of the week. There’s going to be certain days that I’m just not going to have the speed and the flexibility and the movement that I once did. I’m 42 now and I’ve had four back surgeries. So things are going to be different from day-to-day, and it’s just about managing it.”
Woods underwent spinal fusion surgery in April last year and admits he feels ‘blessed’ simply to be able to compete again, but has already failed to convert several chances to claim his first victory since 2013.
The 14-time major winner finished second behind Paul Casey in the Valspar Championship in March and was in contention at Bay Hill the following week before driving out of bounds on the 16th hole of the final round.
Most significantly, he also led the Open at Carnoustie with eight holes to play, only to double bogey the 11th and drop another shot on the next as playing partner Francesco Molinari went on to lift the Claret Jug. ‘To go from missing the cut in the US Open to contending and at one point leading the Open on the back nine, it felt good. It felt very familiar,’ he added. ‘Unfortunately, I made two mistakes there on 11 and 12 and it cost me a chance to win the championship. I felt like I was in control of what I was doing, and that felt good. Unfortunately, I just didn’t do it.’ Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth will take a more relaxed approach to his second attempt to complete the career grand slam by winning the US PGA Championship. Spieth’s dramatic Open triumph at Royal Birkdale in 2017 means he needs victory in the US PGA to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in having won all four majors. The former world number one would have been the youngest player to achieve the feat if he had won the title last year, but could only finish 28th at Quail Hollow as his close friend Justin Thomas lifted the Wanamaker Trophy. ‘I think I was probably a little more anxious last year,’ he said. ‘I think going in there was a big focus on it, given it was right after winning the Open Championship, so it was fresh, I was in form and going to a place that - if I worked up the leaderboard - it would create a lot of noise. ‘I feel somewhat under the radar this year. I’ve kind of felt that way a lot this year; I don’t mind it. But at the same time this tournament will always be circled until ‘I’m able to hopefully win it some day. It will always be circled to complete the career grand slam, which will ultimately achieve a life-long goal for me.” Spieth, 25, has not tasted victory since last year’s Open and could only finish ninth in the defence of his title after taking a share of the lead into the final round at Carnoustie.