USA: GOLF - ALL EYES ARE ON TIGER WOODS AS WORLD'S TOP GOLFER PREPARES TO COMPETE IN THE BUICK INVITATIONAL
Record ID:
648859
USA: GOLF - ALL EYES ARE ON TIGER WOODS AS WORLD'S TOP GOLFER PREPARES TO COMPETE IN THE BUICK INVITATIONAL
- Title: USA: GOLF - ALL EYES ARE ON TIGER WOODS AS WORLD'S TOP GOLFER PREPARES TO COMPETE IN THE BUICK INVITATIONAL
- Date: 15th February 2003
- Summary: LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 11, 2003) (REUTERS) 1. TIGER WOODS WALKING ON FAIRWAY DURING PRACTICE 2. WOODS TEEING OFF 3. WOODS STANDING ON GREEN 4. WOODS PUTTING LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 12, 2003) (REUTERS) 5. 18TH HOLE IN POURING RAIN WITH EMPTY STANDS 6. RAIN AT WATER HAZARD 7. CADDIES WALKING ON COURSE 8. 'COURSE CLOSED' SIGN 9. TIGER WOODS ARRIVING AT PRESS CONFERENCE 10. CAMERA CREWS, PAN TO WIDE SHOT OF PRESS CONFERENCE 11. SOUNDBITE (English) TIGER WOODS BEING ASKED ABOUT HIS FEELINGS AS THE TOURNAMENT APPROACHES, SAYING "I guess number one is excitement. Excitement about competing again, and being able to go out there and compete pain-free. That's something I haven't done in a while. You know, after every tournament last year, I was just worn out mentally. Because one you're playing and one you're under the stress of playing, but also I'm trying to block out pain at the same time. You know, that adds to it and you just get mentally worn out. And, you know, towards the end of the year it was just brutal just to go out there and play." 12. JOURNALISTS AT PRESS CONFERENCE 13. SOUNDBITE (English) TIGER WOODS TALKING ABOUT HIS CURRENT LEVEL OF HEALTH, SAYING "I've been able to run, I've been able to bike, jog, do just about every single activity. The only thing he doesn't want me to do is play basketball, obviously." 14. JOURNALISTS LISTENING 15. SOUNDBITE (English) TIGER WOODS TALKING ABOUT HIS PLANS FOR THE NEXT MONTH, SAYING "It's going to be a week-to-week trial and error and see if I can, you know, keep playing. And I know I'm not a hundred percent yet, but it's pretty darn close." 16. WIDE SHOT OF GOLFER PHIL MICKELSON AT PRESS CONFERENCE 17. SOUNDBITE (English) PHIL MICKELSON, SAYING: "I certainly, as you read it, did not mean anything mean or malicious by it, and was not trying to make a derogatory statement towards anybody but I still should not have gone in that area." 18. SOUNDBITE (English) TIGER WOODS TALKING ABOUT MICKELSON'S COMMENTS, SAYING "It wasn't a personal shot at me, no. I thought it was Phil trying to be funny, and it didn't come off right at all. And from there it blew up and escalated to what it's at now. And as we all know, Phil can try and be a smart aleck at times, we all know that. I think it was one of those instances where it just backfired on him." 19. TIGER WOODS LEAVING PRESS CONFERENCE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 2nd March 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA2E41D91QT1TE4HKKM9M71XPX
- Story Text: All eyes are on Tiger Woods as the world's top golfer
prepares to compete in the Buick Invitational, his first
tournament since undergoing knee surgery last year.
Despite foul weather, Tiger Woods took to the links at
the Torrey Pines golf course in La Jolla, California on
Tuesday (February 11, 2003) for a few practice holes.
Woods, who had surgery to remove fluid around his anterior
cruciate ligament in his knee on December 12, has not played a
competitive round since his own Target World Challenge
tournament in early December.
The world's top golfer was scheduled to participate in a
Pro-Am competition on Wednesday, but the event was cancelled
because of rain.
At a press conference, Woods told reporters he's excited
to get back in the game.
"Excitement about competing again, and being able to go
out there and compete pain-free," remarked the 27-year old
golf phenom.
"That's something I haven't done in a while. You know,
after every tournament last year, I was just worn out
mentally."
Indeed, Woods has lived a gruelling schedule in the last
few years. The 27-year-old had not previously missed more
than five weeks of tournament golf since turning professional
in 1996, and his withdrawal from this year's season-opening
Mercedes Championships in Hawaii was the first of his career
through injury.
The Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines is just one of
several significant golf tournaments to be held in Southern
California during the month of February. Next week's Nissan
Open will be held at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific
Palisades, near Los Angeles, while the Accenture Match Play
Championships in Carlsbad are scheduled for the end of the
month. When asked if he'd be playing at these other events,
Woods demurred: "It's going to be a week-to-week trial and
error, and see if I can, you know, keep playing. And I know
I'm not a hundred percent yet, but it's pretty darn close."
Wednesday's press events were partially dominated by an
apparently ill-considered comment on the part of pro golfer
Phil Mickelson, made last week. Mickelson caused a stir in
the U.S. golf press by saying that Woods has "inferior" clubs
and he's the only player "good enough to overcome the
equipment he's stuck with."
Woods' sponsors were not amused, and Tiger initially
distanced himself from Mickelson. But by Wednesday, the two
golfers were taking pains to put the controversy to rest. "I
certainly .. did not mean anything mean or malicious by it,
and was not trying to make a derogatory statement towards
anybody," admitted Mickelson. "I still should not have gone
in that area."
Woods told reporters he had spoken with his tour-mate and
is harbouring no ill feelings "It wasn't a personal shot at
me, no. I thought it was Phil trying to be funny and it
didn't come off right at all. And from there it blew up and
escalated to what it's at now. And as we all know, Phil can
try and be a smart aleck at times, we all know that. I think
it was one of those instances where it just backfired on him."
The Buick Invitational is scheduled to start on Thursday
and continues through Sunday. Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal is
the defending champion; Tiger Woods won the tournament in
1999.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None