Tiger Woods tackles all kinds of topics – from the state of his leg to the state of his swing, and from the state of the skilled circuits to the state of the stadium the place he had hoped to launch his new indoor golf league, and why he’s towards one rule for all gamers with regards to the golf ball
With all of the success you’ve had in your profession. What drives you, on the age of 47, to nonetheless exit to the follow vary and hit golf balls?
What drives me is that I like to compete. There’ll come a cut-off date – and I don’t suppose I’m there but – after I gained’t be capable of win once more. When that day comes, I’ll stroll away.
Gone are the times of me pounding balls on the vary all day. I’ve performed a variety of holes, however I haven’t been utilizing a pencil and a scorecard, so I used to be to see how I’d truthful underneath match circumstances and with a scorecard in my hand. Because it seems, not too unhealthy.
I used to be just a little rusty on the market, which confirmed in my first spherical, however I used to be fairly pleased to play 72 holes in degree par. It was a great distance off from the place I need it to be, however that was to be anticipated, so far as a beta take a look at goes I feel it went okay. I made a couple of errors, and I missed a few putts, however I actually felt higher every day, which may solely be a very good factor. Issues aren’t as sharp as they usually can be. There’s some good in there and I’ve simply obtained to ensure that the nice is extra constant than it has been. At dwelling I can play and I can stroll, but it surely’s totally different if you’re at recreation velocity.
How are you feeling bodily after all of the operations that you just’ve had, and the way is that impacting in your recreation?
I’m very excited at how I’ve felt bodily. I’ve proven myself that I can get well every day, that was form of an unknown so far as I’ve walked this far. I’ve completed all my coaching however add in enjoying and focus and adrenaline, and all these different components that velocity up all the pieces, and it’s a really totally different state of affairs in comparison with hitting balls at dwelling.
Bodily, I don’t have any of the ache in my ankle that I had after I was enjoying at Augusta. Different components are taking the brunt of the load. However that surgical procedure was successful. The exhausting half was the six months after surgical procedure, sitting round doing nothing. The primary couple of months have been actually robust, so now I’ve come out the opposite finish and I’m feeling my manner again into the sport.
So far as my recreation in involved, there are some photographs that I can’t hit now that I might after I first began out within the recreation, however I’ve all the time been capable of hit the ball out of the center of the clubface, in order that’s been good. I’m hitting the ball additional than I did after I first got here out on tour. I’m swinging slower, however I’m nonetheless capable of hit the ball in the course of the face, and there’s all the time a bonus in having the ability to try this.
What are your expectations for 2024 by way of enjoying on tour?
I feel the most effective state of affairs can be possibly to play a match a month – I feel that’s real looking. You would need to begin possibly on the Genesis Invitational in February, and one thing in March close to The Gamers. We now have it arrange within the schedule proper now that there’s at the very least one large occasion monthly. Now, I have to get myself prepared for all that and I feel this week [the Hero World Challenge] is an enormous step in that route.
As a member of the PGA Tour’s coverage board how did you are feeling if you first heard that the Tour’s management had been in talks with the Saudi PIF and had reached a unfastened settlement to work collectively in spite of everything that had gone on over the earlier 12 months. What’s your tackle the best way this complete scenario has been dealt with by the PGA Tour?
I’d say that my preliminary response was shock, as I’m positive was the response of a variety of the gamers. We have been very annoyed with what occurred. It occurred so shortly, with none of our involvement it was simply thrown on the market. Nobody knew. That may’t occur once more. And the way we do that’s having six participant/administrators so we management the board and we management what we’re going to do.
I feel Jay [Monahan, PGA Tour commissioner] has been part of that route, he understands what occurred previous to that may’t occur once more and gained’t occur once more, not with the gamers which are concerned and never with the participant/administrators having the function that we now have.
There are such a lot of various things which have occurred in the previous few weeks and months that it’s exhausting to get a deal with on the place issues presently stand. The deadline for the discussions is arising quickly [December 31], so there are nonetheless a variety of transferring components, and a variety of various things taking place in a short time. That’s one of many issues that every one of us as player-directors on the PGA Tour Coverage Board have been engaged on. Every little thing is now at a time crunch. It’s 24 hours a day simply attempting to determine it out.
What’s your view on the USGA and R&A’s joint resolution to incorporate amateurs within the proposed rollback of golf ball distance?
I’ve all the time mentioned that professionals and amateurs ought to function underneath a special algorithm with regards to tools. We’ve been hammering on about how the ball must decelerate for nearly my total profession, but it surely has stored dashing up, and now right here we’re.
If you happen to play in a professional occasion or you’ve got a ‘P’ subsequent to your title, you need to be enjoying a professional ball. If in case you have an ‘A’ subsequent to your title and also you’re enjoying an newbie occasion, it is best to use an newbie ball.
Talking as participant and now additionally as a golf course designer, the time has come to place a halt on distance. We merely don’t have sufficient property left to maintain extending our current golf programs or making new ones longer – it’s simply not sustainable. Underneath the brand new guidelines the lengthy hitters on tour will nonetheless be the longest hitters on tour, so their relative benefit will stay the identical, however what’s the purpose in decreasing the drive of the membership golfer who busts a intestine to hit it 250 yards?
Lastly, it’s clearly disappointing that the brand new Tech Golf League with which you’re a key determine has needed to be put again a 12 months. How assured are you that it’s going to launch subsequent 12 months given the present flux within the skilled {golfing} world?
I’ve been a believer in TGL, and because the momentum has constructed this previous 12 months, I’m much more enthusiastic about what this may develop into for followers of the sport all world wide. Though the occasions surrounding the stadium collapse will drive us to make changes to our timelines, I’m totally assured that this idea will probably be delivered to life by our nice workforce of dedicated gamers.
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