Tiger Woods may not be enjoying this week’s Hero World Problem, however the event host nonetheless confirmed up Tuesday for his annual pre-tournament press convention within the Bahamas.
For a couple of half-hour, Woods fielded questions, largely in regards to the state of his recreation, whereas additionally providing feedback, albeit basic, on the PGA Tour’s ongoing negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund and impending adjustments to Tour discipline sizes and eligiblity.
Listed below are the highlights:
Q. You mentioned I believe it was final yr … that you just hope to play as soon as a month going ahead. Is that also the objective?
WOODS: Effectively, I didn’t assume my again was going to go prefer it did this yr. It was fairly painful all through the top of the yr and therefore I had one other process carried out to it to alleviate the ache I had taking place my leg. So whether or not my dedication going ahead is as soon as a month, yeah, I may say that over again, however I actually don’t know. I’m simply attempting to rehab and nonetheless get stronger and higher and really feel higher, actually give myself one of the best likelihood I can going into subsequent yr. This yr was sort of — I needed to toss it away and I wasn’t as sharp as I wanted to be and I didn’t play as a lot as I wanted to going into the foremost championships and I didn’t play effectively at them. Hopefully subsequent yr will probably be higher, I’ll be bodily stronger and higher. I do know the process helped and hopefully that I can then construct upon that.
Q. How would you characterize the negotiations proper now between the Tour and the PIF, and there appears to be a stage of frustration that it’s taken this lengthy. Would you share that or would you are feeling it’s going just about proper as anticipated?
WOODS: I believe all of us who’ve been part of this course of would have thought it could have occurred faster than this. Even when it did, we’re nonetheless on the laws of the DOJ saying it’s giving us hominus dominus that it’ll undergo. Even when we had gotten a deal carried out by now, it’s nonetheless within the DOJ’s fingers, however we want we’d have had one thing extra concrete and additional alongside than we’re proper now. However issues are very fluid, we’re nonetheless working by way of it, it’s occurring every day. From a coverage board standpoint or from an enterprise standpoint, issues are shifting and so they’re constructive. However sure, undoubtedly shifting.
Q. You’re a part of the PGA Tour coverage board. Lately the board authorized a change in discipline sizes and exemptions for gamers from 125 to 100. Why do you as a board member really feel like that’s good for the PGA Tour?
WOODS: Effectively, I believe your entire — I’ll say the vast majority of the Tour felt the identical method. The PAC was concerned, the subcommittees on the PAC had been concerned and it was unanimous throughout the board what we have to do to current a greater product and one thing higher for our followers, for our occasions, our sponsors. Redefining what a Tour professional is, streamlining that. Sure, enjoying alternatives have been decreased at sure components, but additionally then once more we even have participant fairness on this as effectively — concerned as effectively, which has by no means occurred earlier than. So the gamers who’re enjoying, they’re going to get effectively compensated going ahead, which that was by no means the case.
Q. Tiger, what’s your opinion on the opportunity of American gamers being paid to play within the Ryder Cup?
WOODS: Effectively, I must say that going again to my enjoying days, we had the identical dialog again in ’99 and it was we didn’t need to receives a commission, we needed to provide extra money to charity, and the media turned it round in opposition to us and mentioned we need to receives a commission. No, the Ryder Cup itself makes a lot cash, why can’t we allocate it to numerous charities? And what’s improper with every participant, 12 gamers getting 1,000,000 {dollars} and the 6 capacity to divvy out to wonderful charities that they’re concerned in that they may help out? It’s their hometowns, the place they’re from, all of the totally different junior golf associations or endeavors that the members are concerned in. It’s by no means actually been about getting paid, it’s how can we allocate funds to assist our sport or assist issues that we imagine in again dwelling, as a result of it’s so exhausting to get onto that crew, there’s solely 12 guys. What’s improper with with the ability to allocate extra funds?
Q. So do you assume once more now the problem is one in every of messaging, that the gamers ought to make it clear no matter cash they get will going to charity?
WOODS: I hope they’d get $5 million every and donate all of it to charity, totally different charities. I believe it’s nice. What’s improper with that?
Q. Tiger, what affect did your dad have when it comes to what you considered the golf swing when it comes to getting ready it for competitors? Particularly I sort of assume again to ’97 after you gained the Masters you continue to determined, hey, I would like to vary my swing, it’s not going to carry up. What sort of spurred that call?
WOODS: That was on me to make that transfer. That was a dialog I had with Butch and I needed to make a golf swing that was going to compete week in, week out. At the moment I nonetheless thought I had good fingers and I may time it up, however the issue is timing that golf swing at that specific time, I’m going to hit some critical foul balls, too, and I have to get the foul balls within the place the place I can play and compete, make it by way of the weekend, make it to the weekend after which presumably give myself an opportunity each single time I teed it up. At that specific time, I didn’t really feel like I may try this, so we went to work on slowly integrating items of the golf swing and it took the higher a part of a yr and a half or so to the place it received to the place I believed it was the place I would love it to be. I had a superb run in ’99, 2000, 2001.
However so far as my father, my father turned over all of the keys to a golf swing, that wasn’t his 7 factor. My father understood extra the psychological facet of it from his operational days in Particular Forces and the mindset that it took to do what he needed to do, however so far as golf mechanics, no. I nonetheless bear in mind the times my dad nonetheless educating me how one can putt, however so far as the golf swing, he by no means actually did a lot. I labored with Rudy and I labored with John Anselmo after which to Butch. My dad by no means actually — he mentioned that’s between you and your coach.
Q. What’s your confidence, Tiger, {that a} deal will get carried out?
WOODS: I believe one thing will get carried out. In what kind or form, I don’t know but.
