Woods wants ball changes to avoid 8,000-yard courses

NEW YORK: Tiger Woods says golf ball changes must be made to avoid 8,000-yard courses and he feels no aches and pains in his back as he prepares his competitive comeback.

Woods spoke in a “Holding Court” podcast interview with women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma, who has guided US teams to two Olympic and two world titles and the University of Connecticut to 11 US national college crowns.

Woods, a 14-time major winner who has been battling back and leg injuries for years, underwent back fusion surgery last April and will return to competition at the end of November in the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.

“We need to do something about the golf ball,” Woods said. “I just think it’s going too far because we’re having to build golf courses — if they want to have a championship venue — they have got to be 7,400-7,800 yards.

“If the game keeps progressing the way it is with technology, I think the 8,000-yard golf course is not too far away.

“And that’s pretty scary because we don’t have enough property to start designing these type of golf courses.”

Woods, who has not played in a tournament since withdrawing at Dubai in February, made a similar comeback from back surgery at year ago at the same invitational event, which benefits his charity foundation.

“I feel really good in the fact that my back is not aching, my legs are starting to come back and my overall golf fitness is starting to come around,” Woods said.

Meanwhile, Park Sung Hyun is projected to take over the women’s World No 1 ranking after fellow South Korean Ryu So Yeon finished equal 33rd at the TOTO Japan Classic on Sunday.

US Women’s Open champion Sung Hyun did not play the LPGA event, but So Yeon had to finish no worse than sixth to stay in top spot, according to the projection.

“I didn’t know that,” So Yeon told Reuters outside the scoring tent at the Taiheiyo Club Minori, when told she had surrendered the number one ranking. Agencies