SOFA SO GOOD FOR TIGER

A year ago Woods couldn’t move off his couch, tomorrow he will aim for a fourth US Open

THIS time last year Tiger Woods could barely move from his settee as the US Open show went on without its biggest star.

Just to be back playing on the big stage is a blessing he feared might never happen as he recovered from a fourth, last-ditch operation on his spine.

So to be at Shinnecock Hills feeling as fit as he does and ready to contend for a comeback Major win – on the 10-year anniversary of his last one – is a fairytale prospect.

Woods said: “There was really no expectation or a thought that I could actually be here again.

“I had only just been given the OK to start walking again, start moving around. So it was about just having my standard of life.

“Forget golf. 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.

“Then it was a bonus to say, why don’t you go hit some putts today. Really? I can putt? And then it was chips.

“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 hopes to coast to victory having sailed into town on his £15million yacht, aptly named Privacy.

He will be staying on the floating palace for the duration of tournament week just off the Long Island coast in order to beat the traffic problems that threaten to plunge this week’s event into chaos.

Horror stories of players and caddies taking up to three hours to commute to the course in the mornings have defined the week so far.

And Woods warned that some players could miss their tee time if something cannot be done to ease the problem, with thousands more spectators expected to flock to the course ahead of the competitive rounds beginning tomorrow.

He added: “A few guys so far this week have said it’s taken them two-and-a-half to three hours from the hotel.

“And you know, there’s a good chance that someone might miss their time.

“You get a little traffic, you get maybe a little fender bender – it’s not inconceivable someone could miss their time.

“I’m happy where I am. Sag Harbor is a cute little town. It’s been nice to kind of get away from the tournament scene and go there to my yacht and just really enjoy it.”