TIGER FEELS READY FOR U.S.
Woods brings boat — and hope — to Hills
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Travel logistics already have been a hot-button topic at the U.S. Open, even for someone dropping anchor this week off of eastern Long Island on a $20 million yacht he refers to as his “dinghy.”
Yes, Tiger Woods arrived in style for his first Open appearance since 2015, staying on his 155-foot vessel named “Privacy” in nearby Sag Harbor, as curious as any of us if he can sail back into contention and vie for his first major title — inconceivable as that once would have sounded — in a decade.
But Tiger did make one prediction on Tuesday about those traveling more conventionally to the notparticularly-accessible Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, suggesting the heavy eastbound traffic the past few days might carry over from the practice rounds to possibly affect one or more of his competitors once the tournament begins Thursday.
“There were a few guys so far this week who have said it’s taken them from the hotel like two-and-a-half to three hours (to get to the course),” Woods said during his pre-tournament media session. “There’s a good chance that someone might miss their (tee) time. You get a little traffic, you get maybe a little fender bender, it’s not inconceivable someone could miss their time.”
Woods spent so much time away from the PGA Tour in recent years, of course, stemming partly from an infamous Thanksgiving night fender bender in 2009 — and a DUI arrest on Memorial Day of last year — but mostly due to career-threatening back problems in between that have required four major surgeries, including a spinal fusion in 2017.
Thus, Tiger seems beyond appreciative not only to be granted a fresh chance to chase a new ending to his own tale, but realistically hoping he finally can chase down that elusive 15th career major – which fully appeared inevitable when he defeated Rocco Mediate in a 19-hole playoff to capture No. 14 at Torrey Pines at the 2008 U.S. Open.
“I had really no expectation to have the thought that I could actually be here again,” Woods allowed.
Last year at this time, in fact, Tiger just had been granted medical clearance to resume walking again and watched from his couch while Brooks Koepka was taking the U.S. Open crown at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.
“It was about just having my standard of life. Forget golf,” Woods said. “Can I actually participate in my kids’ lives again? That’s something that I had missed for a few years, and that was the main goal of it.“So to go from there to where I’m at now, I had no expectation of getting this far. A lot of this is pure bonus because of where I was. To be able to have this opportunity to play USGA events, to play against these guys, best players in the world, it’s just a great feeling and one that I don’t take for granted.”
Woods wouldn’t elaborate much when asked how his life has changed since his 2017 DUI bust, offering only: “It’s gotten better.”
So gradually has his game on the links, although a shaky putter betrayed him two weeks ago while in contention at The Memorial.
Of eight starts since returning to the PGA Tour full-time, Tiger posted a runner-up finish at the Valspar Championship, a fifth-place showing at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and four other top-25 results, even if he still is searching for his next tournament victory.
“There’s two ways to look at it,” Woods said. “I’ve given myself chances to win, which I didn’t know if I would ever do again. I’m also not happy I didn’t win, but I’m very thankful I had those opportunities because I didn’t know if I’d ever have them again.
“But I was very excited to get back in the mix at Valspar. I felt very calm. It felt familiar because I’ve been there so many times. At the same time, I’d like to get there more times. And therein lies the trick, trying to get myself there.”
The next chance for Woods begins on Thursday — paired alongside the world’s top two players in the world rankings, Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson — at a retooled Shinnecock, where the 42-year-old, three-time U.S. Open champ tied for 17th in 2004.
“It’s changed a lot, from the two times I’ve played previously, it’s a lot longer, the fairways seem to be about twice as wide,” said Woods, who will be appearing in his first U.S. Open since failing to make the cut at Chambers Bay in 2015. “It’s a very different look…This golf course is going to be another great U.S. Open test.”
As long as everyone arrives for their tee time, right?
“Yeah,” Woods joked, “staying on the dinghy helps.”