Missing links/tiger says his game is not as sharp as he’d like
Tiger Woods has admitted his game is not as sharp as he would like it to be as he heads into the Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
The 15-time major champion has played just ten rounds of competitive golf since winning the Masters in April.
The 43-year-old took four weeks off before missing the cut in the US PGA Championship then finishing ninth in the Memorial Tournament and 21st in the US Open. He went straight from Pebble Beach to Thailand on a family holiday and believe she has no option but to play a limited schedule following career-saving spinal fusion surgery.
“Getting myself into position to win the Masters, it took a lot out of me ,” said Woods, who has had four knee operations and four back surgeries during his illustrious career.
“That golf course puts so much stress on the system.”
Woods says he has learnt his lesson from 2018 when he played 19 individual events.
“Last year I played a little bit too much, the body was pretty beat up,” Woods added.
He is relishing a return to links golf this week, even if he feels he is a little rusty.
“My game’ s not quite as sharp as I’ d like to have it right now ,” he said .“My touch around the greens is right where I need to have it. I still need to get the shape of the golf ball a little bit better than I am right now, especially with the weather coming in and the winds are going to be changing.”
quite as sharp as I’d like to have it right now,” he said of his game. “My touch around the greens is right where I need to have it. I still need to get the shape of the golf ball a little bit better than I am right now. I’m going to have to be able to cut the ball, draw the ball, hit at different heights and move it all around.”
Will he be “shaking it all about” if he gets his hands back on the Claret Jug on Sunday night for the first time since 2006?
“I’ve got a few days to work on that part,” he replied with a smile to being asked if he’d be soaking up the Portrush par t y atmosphere if he won here. “Let’s take it one step at a time.” Guinness? “No, not this week. In the past… um,” he added with one of the biggest smiles we’ve ever seen from him.
S i n c e h i s c a r e e r wa s r e - i g n i t e d , Woods has undoubtedly been more prepared than he had b een in the past to show a human side. Heck, this press conference even had him offering up a “funny story”.
Referring to Bro oks Ko epka, the world No 1 who has finished first-second-first-second in the last four majors, he said: “I texted Brooksie, congratulations on another great finish. What he’s done in the last four major championships has been just unbelievable. To be so consistent, so solid. He’s been in contention to win each and every major championship.
“And I said, Hey, dude, do you mind if I tag along and play a practice round? I’ve heard nothing! (laughing).”