Tiger Woods has not been seen on a golf course in more than a month, a period during which he said he was more daddy than golfer. And the change suits him well, he insists.
At 37 with two children, Woods has mellowed some from his days of nonstop golf. He took a break from the game he used to dominate and hopes to regain. And limited off-season golf just might be the key to achieving his ambitions.
“I didn’t play much golf after the World Challenge,” Woods told ESPN.com via email Friday. “I putted and hit some balls with [son] Charlie, but that was about it. Since it was Christmas break, I spent a lot of time with the kids, which was great. That was exactly what I wanted to do. Because I was healthy most of the year, I played a lot of golf and was ready for a break.”
He said he focused on shots from 120 yards and in, as it was a part of his game that let him down at key points last year.
“I did mostly fine-tuning after the break and continued working on my short game. I’m really happy where it is right now. I didn’t start practicing hard until the first week of January. I feel good about my game and I’m ready to get back to Abu Dhabi.”
Woods will play there next week and open the PGA Tour the last weekend of the month at Torrey Pines, where he has won six times in his amazing career.
“Obviously, I’ve had good success at Torrey Pines,” said Woods, who won the PGA Tour event there in 1999, 2003, ’05, ’06, ’07 and ’08. Further, Woods has been in the top 10 all but one time.
Woods tied for third at the Abu Dhabi event last year, finishing two strokes behind a shot behind Rory McElrory, who also will make his season debut next week. He and McEloy will be grouped together for the first two rounds.
Although he was coming off a victory at the World Challenge a year ago, Woods feels much better about his progress than he did then. He won three times on the PGA Tour in 2012, had nine top-10 finishes and was second on the money list.
It is encouraging to Woods that he only had one injury all last season.
“I was able to play and practice,” Woods said “I was able to implement what Sean and I had been working on. It was the most I was able to play and practice in a long time, and it paid off.”
He is the No. 3 player in the world behind McIlroy and Luke Donald, which matters to him, but not as much as winning major championships. The first opportunity is at the Masters in April. Last season he was in the mix of three titles, but did not hold his game together to win one.
“I do focus on the majors because it’s the four most important weeks, but there’s also plenty to be excited about this year,” Woods said. “It’s the start of a new season, there’s a lot I want to accomplish and build on and I’m opening 2013 at a tournament I like. It’s pretty easy to balance everything out.”
