He has played only once since back surgery in March–and he was not that impressive a few weeks ago at Congressional Country Club. Did not make the cut. But Tiger Woods insists he is unfazed and confident about his chances at the Open Championship that begins Thursday in Hoylake, England.
“I’ve been in circumstances like this,” Woods said during a 30-minute news conference. “If you remember in ’08 I had knee surgery right after the Masters. I won a U.S. Open. I didn’t play more than nine holes, and the Sunday before the U.S. Open I didn’t break 50 for nine holes and still was able to win it in a playoff, with an [torn] ACL and a broken leg.”
That history, he said, allows him to believe he can put together four days of solid golf and earn his 15th major championship.
“I’ve proven I can do it,” Woods said. “It’s just a matter of putting my game and giving myself the best chances this week to miss the ball in the correct spots, to be aggressive when I can and obviously to hole putts. That’s a recipe you find for every major championship, but I’ve just got to do it this week.”
At the same time, Woods admitted that while he feels healthy, his swing is not at optimal level.
“It’s getting better,” he said. “Playing at Congressional was a big boost to me. The fact that I was able to go at it that hard and hit it like that with no pain. It wasn’t like that the previous time I played. Playing at both the Honda and Doral [in March], I did not feel well. But to come back and be able to hit the ball as hard as I was able to hit it. I’ve gotten stronger since then, I’ve gotten more explosive, I’ve gotten faster since then. That’s going to be the case. I’m only going to get stronger and faster, which is great.”
