- Title: Tigers Woods ready for return to Torrey Pines
- Date: 23rd January 2017
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 23, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE HALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) TIGER WOODS, SAYING: "This is a very special place and for to come back here, I'm really looking forward to it. As far as the state of my game, I'm excited about playing this week, I feel like I'm playing well. I just need to get some tournament rounds under my belt. I haven't played one tournament in the last 18 months, 16 months, I just need some tournament golf and I'm really looking forward to it." NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) TIGER WOODS, SAYING: "I've gone through some pretty tough lows, going through my procedures on my back and there are points in time when you know I didn't know whether I would swing a golf club again, play with my kids, do all that activity. You know they were some pretty tough times and worked through it and to have, you know, also the good days and now to where I can compete again. I still have to go through a lot for the rest of my life because of the procedures but I'm able to get back out here and play." CAMERAMEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) TIGER WOODS, SAYING: "You know I feel good about it. I just need to get out there and do it and see what happens. I feel like I'm strong enough to be able to handle the workload but as I said to Steve, I've got to go out there and do it. So not feeling good about it and doing it are two totally different things." REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) TIGER WOODS, SAYING: "Well I'll tell you what, for a person who is 70 years old he hits it hard. I mean people don't realize he's that old and he can rip it and hit it as far as he does, he keeps himself in pretty good shape and good health and has an inordinate amount of energy. When we played we walked all 18 and had a great time. At the time I think we only had 10 security guards, I think it might be increased now, but we had a great time and we had a good time playing and it was a perfect day weather-wise too on top of that." WIDE OF PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) TIGER WOODS, SAYING: "Yes that is a concern, there's no doubt about it. But I'm also looking forward to it, you know I've sat out long enough here. I've got my body in a pretty good state where I feel like I can handle that workload but I've still got to go out there and do it and still got to experience it and that's obviously a lot of golf for being outside for so long." END OF NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF GOLF COURSE
- Embargoed: 6th February 2017 23:31
- Keywords: Tiger Woods Golf Genesis Open Riviera Country Club Farmer's Insurance Open Torrey Pines
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: British Indian Ocean Territory
- Topics: Golf,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00160AZDBZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Former world number one Tiger Woods said on Monday (January 23) he was ready to get back on the PGA tour as the golfer charts his comeback from injury.
Woods, sidelined by back pain for the past 15 months, will launch his official comeback at the Jan. 26-29 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in southern California.
"This is a very special place and for to come back here, I'm really looking forward to it. As far as the state of my game, I'm excited about playing this week, I feel like I'm playing well. I just need to get some tournament rounds under my belt. I haven't played one tournament in the last 18 months, 16 months, I just need some tournament golf and I'm really looking forward to it," said Woods.
"I've gone through some pretty tough lows, going through my procedures on my back and there are points in time when you know I didn't know whether I would swing a golf club again, play with my kids, do all that activity. You know they were some pretty tough times and worked through it and to have, you know, also the good days and now to where I can compete again. I still have to go through a lot for the rest of my life because of the procedures but I'm able to get back out here and play," he added.
Following on from the Farmers Insurance Open, Woods will play at the Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club Feb. 2-5 in Dubai. He has also committed to play the Feb. 16-19 Genesis Open at Riviera, California, and his hometown tournament, the Honda Classic in south Florida, the following week as he leads up to the Masters in Augusta in April. He is also expected to play the March 16-19 Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Florida, an event he has won a record eight times.
The 41-year-old American has not played an official money event since Aug. 2015 and pulled out of a planned return at the first event of the 2016-17 season in northern California in October. He said then that his game was not ready but the 14-times major champion subsequently made his comeback at the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial PGA Tour event, in the Bahamas in December where he finished 15th in an 18-man field.
After playing only one tournament in 17 months, reporters asked if Woods was ready for the workload.
"Yes that is a concern, there's no doubt about it. But I'm also looking forward to it, you know I've sat out long enough here. I've got my body in a pretty good state where I feel like I can handle that workload but I've still got to go out there and do it and still got to experience it and that's obviously a lot of golf for being outside for so long," said Woods.
Reporters were also eager to ask about U.S. President Donald Trump's golf skills after the two played together last month at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach Florida.
"Well I'll tell you what, for a person who is 70 years old he hits it hard. I mean people don't realize he's that old and he can rip it and hit it as far as he does, he keeps himself in pretty good shape and good health and has an inordinate amount of energy. When we played we walked all 18 and had a great time. At the time I think we only had 10 security guards, I think it might be increased now, but we had a great time and we had a good time playing and it was a perfect day weather-wise too on top of that," said Woods.
There was no word on the score, but Trump is no duffer. Golf Digest magazine expects Trump to be the best-ever Oval Office golfer. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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