Tiger Woods has dismissed any suggestion that he might be thinking of retirement following what has been the worst season of his career so far.
The 39-year-old American, winner of 14 majors including two at the iconic Home of Golf, has felt the full force of the back injury from last year and his effort to change his golf swing, as he has fallen to No241 in the world rankings. His last top-10 finish in a full-field event was a third place at the 2013 Turkish Airlines Open. This year alone he has also posted three scores in excess of 80.
And yet, in his last competitive round, Woods showed the world that things are turning around for him as he shot a bogey-free round of 67 on the final day of The Greenbrier Classic. That was his first round without dropping a shot in almost two years.
As Woods gets ready for what is his fifth Open start at St Andrews, he has brushed away talks of retirement, and said he has enough time to get to Jack Nicklaus’ record haul of 18 major titles.
“Well, retirement? I don’t have any AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) card yet, so I’m a ways from that,” quipped Woods.
“I know some of you guys think I’m buried and done, but I’m still right here in front of you. I love competing.” – TW pic.twitter.com/QiuwzYY3FN
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 14, 2015
“I feel like my body is finally healed up from the surgery from last year. You know, they say it takes you about four-to-six months to get back, but I’ve heard a lot of guys on Tour and other athletes say it takes over a year to get back. I think they were probably closer to being right, it being a full year to get back.
“It would have been one thing if I would have gone through the procedure and then had the same golf swing, but I’ve changed the golf swing, too, on top of that. So, that was kind of a double dipper there where I had to fight both at the same time.
“I’m still young (for Nicklaus’ record). I’m not 40 yet. I know some of you guys think I’m buried and done, but I’m still right here in front of you. I love playing. I love competing, and I love playing these events.”
Woods admitted he still feels nervous on the first tee, a sign that clearly shows he cares for his game.
– VIDEO: Tiger Woods on his chances ahead of The Open
– The Open: Casey confident of challenging after breaking back into top 50
– Interview: Bubba Watson excited by golf’s guard change
He added: “I’m always nervous for that first tee shot. I care about what I do, and when I’m not nervous is the day I quit. I want to feel the rush. I want to feel the nerves.
“It’s just a matter of how you handle it. I think I’ve done a pretty good job over my career of handling it and winning events here and there.
“I just enjoy playing tournament golf, and I enjoy competing at the highest level against the best players in the world.”
Woods, who has always ranked the Old Course at St Andrews as one of his most favourite golf courses in the world, felt the experience of playing it so many times will work to his advantage.
“I’ve always loved this golf course, right from the first time I played it back in ’95. It’s playing a little bit differently than we’ve had in previous Opens. It’s a little bit softer and I’m sure it’s going to get even softer with the forecast for Friday,” said Woods.
WATCH: Golf’s greatest champions tell you what it feels like to lift the Claret Jug. #TheOpen https://t.co/8iL6QFVsQ1
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 14, 2015
“I just love the creativity. You have to be able to hit all different type of shots. I think experience counts a lot with the varied wind conditions. You have to hit the ball well. You have to really lag putt well here.
“But if you haven’t seen the golf course in various winds, bunkers that you don’t even see on the yardage book, those which you don’t see with that wind, all of a sudden become apparent and come into play.
“You need to learn how to play the golf course under all different type of wind conditions, because it changes greatly, and it’s based on angles. To me that type of thinking and the strategy that goes into it, is something I’ve always loved.
“You know, a five-degree wind change here changes the whole golf course completely. I’ve always found that very fascinating.”
