Tiger Woods won’t be enjoying this week’s Hero World Problem, however the match host nonetheless confirmed up Tuesday for his annual pre-tournament press convention within the Bahamas.
For a couple of half-hour, Woods fielded questions, largely in regards to the state of his sport, whereas additionally providing feedback, albeit basic, on the PGA Tour’s ongoing negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund and impending adjustments to Tour discipline sizes and eligiblity.
Listed here are the highlights:
Q. You mentioned I believe it was final yr … that you simply hope to play as soon as a month going ahead. Is that also the objective?
WOODS: Effectively, I didn’t suppose my again was going to go prefer it did this yr. It was fairly painful all through the top of the yr and therefore I had one other process finished to it to alleviate the ache I had taking place my leg. So whether or not my dedication going ahead is as soon as a month, yeah, I may say that yet again, however I actually don’t know. I’m simply attempting to rehab and nonetheless get stronger and higher and really feel higher, actually give myself the perfect likelihood I can going into subsequent yr. This yr was sort of — I needed to toss it away and I wasn’t as sharp as I wanted to be and I didn’t play as a lot as I wanted to going into the main championships and I didn’t play effectively at them. Hopefully subsequent yr shall be higher, I’ll be bodily stronger and higher. I do know the process helped and hopefully that I can then construct upon that.
Q. How would you characterize the negotiations proper now between the Tour and the PIF, and there appears to be a degree of frustration that it’s taken this lengthy. Would you share that or would you are feeling it’s going just about proper as anticipated?
WOODS: I believe all of us who’ve been part of this course of would have thought it could have occurred faster than this. Even when it did, we’re nonetheless on the laws of the DOJ saying it’s giving us hominus dominus that it’ll undergo. Even when we had gotten a deal finished by now, it’s nonetheless within the DOJ’s fingers, however we want we’d have had one thing extra concrete and additional alongside than we’re proper now. However issues are very fluid, we’re nonetheless working by way of it, it’s taking place day by day. From a coverage board standpoint or from an enterprise standpoint, issues are transferring they usually’re constructive. However sure, positively transferring.
Q. You’re a part of the PGA Tour coverage board. Not too long ago the board accredited a change in discipline sizes and exemptions for gamers from 125 to 100. Why do you as a board member really feel like that’s good for the PGA Tour?
WOODS: Effectively, I believe all the — I’ll say the vast majority of the Tour felt the identical manner. The PAC was concerned, the subcommittees on the PAC have been concerned and it was unanimous throughout the board what we have to do to current a greater product and one thing higher for our followers, for our occasions, our sponsors. Redefining what a Tour professional is, streamlining that. Sure, enjoying alternatives have been decreased at sure elements, but additionally then once more we even have participant fairness on this as effectively — concerned as effectively, which has by no means occurred earlier than. So the gamers who’re enjoying, they’re going to get effectively compensated going ahead, which that was by no means the case.
Q. Tiger, what’s your opinion on the opportunity of American gamers being paid to play within the Ryder Cup?
WOODS: Effectively, I must say that going again to my enjoying days, we had the identical dialog again in ’99 and it was we didn’t need to receives a commission, we wished to offer more cash to charity, and the media turned it round in opposition to us and mentioned we need to receives a commission. No, the Ryder Cup itself makes a lot cash, why can’t we allocate it to numerous charities? And what’s fallacious with every participant, 12 gamers getting 1,000,000 {dollars} and the 6 skill to divvy out to superb charities that they’re concerned in that they might help out? It’s their hometowns, the place they’re from, all of the completely different junior golf associations or endeavors that the members are concerned in. It’s by no means actually been about getting paid, it’s how can we allocate funds to assist our sport or assist issues that we consider in again house, as a result of it’s so arduous to get onto that group, there’s solely 12 guys. What’s fallacious with with the ability to allocate extra funds?
Q. So do you suppose once more now the difficulty is considered one of messaging, that the gamers ought to make it clear no matter cash they get will going to charity?
WOODS: I hope they might get $5 million every and donate all of it to charity, completely different charities. I believe it’s nice. What’s fallacious with that?
Q. Tiger, what affect did your dad have when it comes to what you considered the golf swing when it comes to getting ready it for competitors? Particularly I sort of suppose again to ’97 after you gained the Masters you continue to determined, hey, I want to vary my swing, it’s not going to carry up. What sort of spurred that call?
WOODS: That was on me to make that transfer. That was a dialog I had with Butch and I wished to make a golf swing that was going to compete week in, week out. At the moment I nonetheless thought I had good fingers and I may time it up, however the issue is timing that golf swing at that exact time, I’m going to hit some severe foul balls, too, and I must get the foul balls within the place the place I can play and compete, make it by way of the weekend, make it to the weekend after which presumably give myself an opportunity each single time I teed it up. At that exact time, I didn’t really feel like I may do this, so we went to work on slowly integrating items of the golf swing and it took the higher a part of a yr and a half or so to the place it bought to the place I assumed it was the place I would love it to be. I had a superb run in ’99, 2000, 2001.
However so far as my father, my father turned over all of the keys to a golf swing, that wasn’t his 7 factor. My father understood extra the psychological aspect of it from his operational days in Particular Forces and the mindset that it took to do what he needed to do, however so far as golf mechanics, no. I nonetheless keep in mind the times my dad nonetheless educating me the right way to putt, however so far as the golf swing, he by no means actually did a lot. I labored with Rudy and I labored with John Anselmo after which to Butch. My dad by no means actually — he mentioned that’s between you and your coach.
Q. What’s your confidence, Tiger, {that a} deal will get finished?
WOODS: I believe one thing will get finished. In what kind or form, I don’t know but.
