USA: GOLF: Tiger Woods says he's is back on course after announcing split from wife, Elin

Record ID: 789558

  • Title: USA: GOLF: Tiger Woods says he's is back on course after announcing split from wife, Elin
  • Date: 26th August 2010
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) WILLIAM HEARD, GOLF SPECTATOR, SAYING: "I think it was probably the first thing on his mind and he wasn't able to concentrate. I'm sure he'll be a lot better now."
  • Embargoed: 10th September 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA3ROW5NY4GH020XTXE656PEI9T
  • Story Text: Tiger Woods began a new chapter in his life at a pro-amateur game on Wednesday (August 25). The game is the lead-up to Barclays tournament, where Woods will be competing for the first time since his divorce and scrambling to qualify for the remainder of the FedExCup playoff series.
    The world number one, who announced his split from wife Elin on Monday (August 23), will be in the unaccustomed role of teeing off in the first group on the first tee at 0710 local time in Thursday's opening round, due to the fact he is 112th in the points list.
    Woods' now ex-wife has broken the silence she maintained through the torrid sex scandal that engulfed their marriage, saying she has been through "hell."
    Elin Nordegren spoke to People magazine in an interview published on Wednesday, two days after she and Woods issued a statement confirming their divorce, which had been widely anticipated for months after his public confession of infidelity.
    When asked about his ex-wife's comments, Woods told reporters after coming off the course that he "wished her the best in everything."
    "It's a sad time and we're going through it right now and as far as my game and practicing that's been secondary. We're trying to get our kids situated in new living conditions and how that's going to be and that's where our focus is right now," he said.
    Woods and Nordegren share custody of a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.
    Nordegren said she has "not watched one minute of golf" since the revelations.
    Playing alongside little-known fellow Americans Cameron Beckman and Troy Matteson at Ridgewood Country Club, Woods will also face the pressure of producing good golf in order to qualify for next week's Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston.
    The top 100 on the points list go through to the second event in the series, with 70 players qualifying for the third, the BMW Championship. The leading 30 then advance to the Tour Championship finale in Atlanta.
    The 34-year-old Woods, without a win this season, needs to finish between 50th and 57th to qualify for the next round of a series that pays the final points winner a $10 million (USD) bonus.
    Asked about how his game is now, the golfer said "I played better. I had some good shots today, still working on some things. Pleasantly surprised and pleased at the shape of shots I hit today."
    World number two Phil Mickelson will tee off at the more genteel time of 1316 along with Briton Justin Rose and American Jeff Overton.
    Ernie Els of South Africa, who has led the FedExCup standings for 22 successive weeks, tees off at 0816 with Americans Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk.
    The last time the Barclays was staged at the tree-lined, 7,319-yard Ridgewood layout in 2008 the event was won by Vijay Singh of Fiji in a playoff against Spaniard Sergio Garcia and American Kevin Sutherland.
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