Tiger Woods says recent rest gives him ‘best chance’ of US PGA win
It felt as if Tiger Woods had determined that the level of hype others are producing around him meant there was no need for him to contribute as he made his first golfing appearance since he stopped the sporting world in its tracks by winning the Masters.
A noticeably subdued Woods took to the stage at Bethpage as he prepared for his first round as a 15-times major champion, at the US PGA Championship here on Thursday. If, as would be entirely understandable, Woods has his eyes on ruling golf once more he appeared keen to play down the prospect. “I’m not looking at it like that,” the 43-year-old insisted. “I’m just looking at trying to give myself the best chance to win.
“Whether I’m dominant or not going forward, that remains to be seen. What I know is I need to give myself the best chance to win the events that I play in, and sometimes that can be taking more breaks here and there and making sure I am ready to go and being able to give it my best at those events.”
Woods kept reflections on the Masters to within golfing parlance, which was in stark contrast to his clear euphoria at the time. “I’m not going to say it was just like old times, no,” he said. “It was very different. I hadn’t won in a long time there. I’ve been in contention numerous times to have gotten it done but I hadn’t.
“Just the way it played out. I mean, it was so different as a whole because we teed off in threesomes [on Sunday]. There was a two-tee start. We went off early. These are things that have never happened in Augusta’s history.
“The whole tournament, how many guys had a chance to win on that back nine, after Frankie [Molinari] made a mistake at 12? He just opened Pandora’s box to who’s going to win the championship, and I just happened to be one of those guys.”
Woods expanded on the reasoning behind skipping the Wells Fargo Championship, sandwiched between the Masters and this major. He had initially intended to feature in Charlotte. “I wanted to play at Quail Hollow but to be honest with you, I wasn’t ready yet to start the grind of practising and preparing and logging all those hours again,” he said. “I was lifting, my numbers were good. I was feeling good in the gym but I wasn’t mentally prepared to log in the hours.
“Coming here is a different story. I was able to log in the hours, put in the time and feel rested and ready. That’s going to be the interesting part going forward; how much do I play and how much do I rest?
“I think I’ve done a lot of the legwork and the hard work already, trying to find my game over the past year and a half. Now I think it’s just maintaining it. I know that I feel better when I’m fresh. The body doesn’t respond like it used to, doesn’t bounce back quite as well, so I’ve got to be aware of that.”
Still, there are broader goals. In what marks a boost to golf’s position within the Olympics, Woods admitted featuring for the United States next year in Tokyo remains firmly on his radar. “Would I like to play in the Olympics? Yes,” said Woods. “I’ve never played in the Olympics and I’m sure I won’t have many more opportunities going forward at 43 years old now to play in many. Yes, that would be a first for me and something I would certainly welcome if I was part of the team.
“Getting there and making the team is going to be the tough part. How many events do I play, do I add a couple more to get in? These are all questions that will be answered going forward. I just know that if I play well in the big events like this year, things will take care of themselves.”
There was at least time for a moment of levity as Woods was asked whether he would follow the recent lead of Peyton Manning and Kobe Bryant by hosting his own television show. “No. No. No show. I’m good. I like playing,” said Woods with a smile before it was put to him that such a scenario might be a way to grow golf. “I’m sure it would be, but it’s certainly not what I’m going to do.”
However, Woods did have to address a shadow cast by a wrongful death lawsuit involving a former employee at his Florida restaurant. He is being sued by the parents of Nicholas Immesberger, who died in a car crash last year after drinking following his shift at the restaurant. Woods called the former employee’s death a “terrible ending”.
Days of heavy rain – and unseasonably cold temperatures – in the New York area in theory edge the Wanamaker Trophy away from Woods and towards the youthful power of Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka or Dustin Johnson. “Prior to playing, I feel great,” said Woods. “Physically I’ve been feeling really good. The training sessions have been good. I’ve been doing a lot of practising of late; not in sweaters, so this is a little bit different.
“This is not only a big golf course, but this is going to be a long week the way the golf course is set up and potentially could play. This could be a hell of a championship.”