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Tees2Greens on Golf

Thought provoking, original, and often brow-raising editorials on golf by members of the Tees2Greens Editorial staff.

June 2008 - Posts

  • Golf Without Tiger and Tiger Without Golf

    When you and I get a day off we play golf, so what do you think Tiger is going to do now that he has a year to kill time?

    Travel?  Well, that sounds great except that Tiger has been around the world sixteen times, in sixteen different ways. So, what’s the point?

    I did see a picture of he and Steve Williams on Jet-Skis somewhere in the Caribbean a couple of years ago, which begs the question, who goes on vacation with their caddy, even if their caddy is Steve Williams?  And, if Steve is not invited on Tiger’s year long sabbatical, is he still getting paid?

    A famous golf teacher once told me that Tiger tosses tips around like manhole covers, and that he had personally laid more than a few bucks out on Tiger’s behalf in the locker room.  I hope that’s not all together true; I don’t mind Tiger being frugal, but cheap is sad.

    How about a trip to the Olympics for Tiger?  He could rent the biggest house in China, invite Michael Jordan and party down Asian style. Perhaps he could offer his services as a sports physiologist.  Without question he could teach game face, focus, and playing through the pain.  He could also teach endorsements, interviews and smile flashing, all of which he holds a PhD in. But he could teach that stuff anywhere, and China is only two weeks even though it seems a lot longer when you’re watching the 10,000 meters run.

    I hear that Boo Weekley likes to fish in his time off, but for some reason I can’t picture Tiger on the banks of the Swanee River watching his cork bob up and down for hours on end, nor do I see Tiger following Jeff Gordon around the NASCAR circuit.  Now, Tiger on his 1,000-foot yacht wearing designer fishing clothes with a sailfish shining in the evening sun is more like it, or taking a lap or two around the Monaco Grand Prix after a few tips from Michael Schumacher; that’s the Tiger I know, or don’t know.

    I guess that’s the point.  We don’t really know Tiger Woods without a golf club in his hand.  Does he like to fish, or play tennis, or read books, or watch TV, or cut the grass?  Is he an ordinary guy, or an extraordinary guy off the golf course?

    Does Elin send him to the Stop ‘N Go for milk and bread? Do they go to the movies and does he remember to turn off his cell phone?  I doubt it, not because he wouldn’t enjoy it, but lets face it, Tiger Woods is Elvis.

    I read a story several years ago about Elvis when he was not only the King of Rock and Roll, but the King of Las Vegas as well. As the story goes he was in his penthouse suite high above the Las Vegas strip when he said to a friend, “Man, that looks like fun down there.”

    To which his friend answered, “It is fun.  Let’s go down there and join them.”

    “I can’t” Elvis answered. “I’m Elvis Pressley.”

    I suspect that Tiger Woods feels that same way.  Unfortunately, it’s the price of fame and fortune, and you and I would probably trade places with him in a heartbeat.

    We all wish Tiger the best recovery possible because we love watching him play, and in a voyeuristic sort of way being part of the history he is creating.  “Yes,” I said to my grandson, “I saw Tiger win the U.S. Open on one leg. Come to think of it he only had one arm as well.  There was this giant Italian guy who hit Tiger in the head with a four iron, but Tiger only smiled. Yes, I saw it live in high-definition and it went on for days.

    “It was the fourteenth of his fifty-five majors, if I recall.”

     




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  • It Ain’t Easy Being This Good

    I always knew that I couldn’t hold a candle to Tiger Woods on the golf course.  Now, I find out the same thing is true for Rocco Mediate.  Granted, I am taller than Rocco, my butt is smaller, and I’m not nearly as hairy, but I am also not even close to being as talented as the Pennsylvania paisan.

    Intellectually, I always knew that to be the case; however, in my mind my turn is more Mikhail Baryshnikov than Charles Barkley, even though I have pictures to prove otherwise. I realize that the mind plays tricks, but this is more than a trick, this is a full-fledged pie in the face, drop your pants, laugh out loud joke.

    Still, I have a confession. Somehow it doesn’t matter that every player on every Tour in the entire world is a better golfer than me. Like most people, I have waited in line at the first tee and made fun of other people’s swing without ever considering that some other guy waiting in line is making fun of my swing.  Worst of all, I’m sorry to say that I have, at times, given out unsolicited golf tips to a playing partner or two, even though I have no idea what I am doing. “You need to move the ball back in your stance, use more right hand, and while you’re at it, you could use a new golf bag.”

    Why would I do this, and why do people do this to me?

    The answer is simple; Golf is the devil’s game.  When you’re driving well, you can’t hit your irons.  When you’re nailing your irons, your driver deserts you. Then, on that rare day when you are driving well and hitting your irons crisp, you couldn’t putt a basketball into the ocean.  That’s not the doings of any kind of God.

    Think about it. How many times have we been ready to quit the game, give it up completely, only to rip a drive down the middle, or sink a fifty-foot putt?  It’s not a golf God that plays those kinds of tricks, it’s the golf devil, and he/she (who can tell in the red suit) will never let you rest until you have bought every new driver, read every article and book, taken every lesson, and missed every critical putt.

    It’s the golf devil that made you top that drive on the first tee at the club championship. How else would you explain it?  Granted, talent is the Devil’s kryptonite, and BS is the Devil’s crack.  In other words, we should practice more and talk less.  But what’s the fun in that, and why shouldn’t give a golf tip or two?

    In the words of Sidney Deane, the Wesley Snipes character in White Men Can’t Jump, “It ain’t easy being this good.”  Sidney also said, “You can put a cat in an oven, but that don't make it a biscuit.” But that’s another story.

    Perhaps the truth is in what the Gloria Clemente character (Rosie Perez) had to say, “Sometimes when you win, you really lose, and sometimes when you lose, you really win, and sometimes when you win or lose, you actually tie, and sometimes when you tie, you actually win or lose. Winning or losing is all one organic mechanism, from which one extracts what one needs.”

    I have no idea what that means, but the golf Devil knows.

    In the end, I may (or may not) write better than most guys on the Tour, and I may even be better looking than Rocco, but that doesn’t change the fact that the worst player on any Tour in the world is a better golfer than I am.  I’m not being modest.  This is something that I have come to grips with.  It is the prerequisite for loading the bag with hybrids and moving up to the middle tees.

    Actually, from an intellectual standpoint, the middle tees are more challenging… It’s no longer a game of brute strength… It reminds me of how Ben Hogan used to play… The 300-yard drive is over rated… Keep that right elbow close to your body…

    In the words of Billy Hoyle, “I may be a chump, I just said that wasn't my name.”

     




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  • The Tiger Woods Challenge to 10 Handicappers

    It was just about this time last year when Tiger Woods told reporters that, in general, he considered Oakmont the toughest golf course in America, and furthermore he didn’t think there was any way that a 10-handicapper could break 100 from the back tees.

    I’m not sure why, perhaps because no one at the time took him seriously, but for whatever reason no irate 10-handicapper took him up on that challenge last year.

    But this year is different, and with Torrey Pines refurbished to play 7,643-yards, the longest golf course in U.S. Open history, Golf Digest and NBC thought it would serve as a suitable stand-in for a new set of challengers, namely Dallas Quarterback Tony Romo, a 2 handicapper, singer Justin Timberlake a 6 handicapper, “Today” host Matt Lauer also a 6 handicapper, and a guy from Omaha by the name of John Atkinson a medical salesman who was chosen from 56,374 essay applicants to play in the challenge.

    Romo, who missed qualifying for the U.S. Open this Spring by only a couple of strokes is obviously not a 10 handicapper. He shot a front nine 40, but stumbled a bit as the round slowed to a six hour pace finishing up with an 84. I didn’t see it with my own eyes, so I cannot refute or confirm a Jessica Simpson, AKA Yoko Romo, sighting.

    Our boy band wonder Justin Timberlake reportedly started playing to the crowd once his swing failed him. There was also a detailed report concerning his playing attire but I refuse to get into that. Let’s just say he parred 18 to finish with a 98 and leave it at that.

    Matt Lauer’s 100 included a quadruple bogey, a series of doubles and a face saving 5 on number 18. Giving into Tiger, Lauer said, “It’s not easy. I didn’t think Tiger made an outrageous statement.”

    John Atkinson, the guy from Omaha, figured out early that this round was about enjoying the moment. “At some point I just didn’t really care,” said Atkinson, who is undergoing treatment for advanced inoperable lung cancer. “I just wanted to enjoy it.” Atkinson had his own cheering section shouting “C’mon, Johnny!” His friend, Dave Leahy, said the crowd joined Atkinson as he trained in Omaha to prepare him for the pressure of playing in front of an audience. “He was out there every Saturday with 50 people pretending to be the gallery and wearing a mike so he’d get used to it,” Leahy said. He gave his caddy, noted sports psychologist Bob Rotella, a sweet shrug after chasing the ball around the green before making his putt on the fifth hole. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for him,” said his wife, Lori. “It doesn’t matter.”

    When all was said and done, John Atkinson won everyone’s heart with a 43-over 114 and a winning smile.

    So, what’s the final results? We all agree that Tiger is pretty good. A few of us believe that Tony Romo has some promise as a golfer. And, I have to admit that Timberlake and Lauer have a little game as well, but on that day John Atkinson won hands down.



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  • Scatter Shooting While Waiting For Tiger

    Every time I think about U.S. Open qualifying I can’t help thinking about the great Roy “Tin Cup” McAvoy. What did Roy say? “Perfection is unattainable.” Roy spoke perhaps the best golf poem ever written, and here it is in its entirety straight from Roy lips to you:

    Sadly, the 2008 U.S. Open will be without Fred Couples who shot 69, 72 and missed the cut by two strokes. Disappointed, he didn’t bother to sign his scorecard and was officially disqualified. On the brighter side, Davis Love III qualified for his 18th trip to the Open. He had just finished four tough days at the Memorial, and then had to make it through 36 holes on Monday to qualify. It makes my back hurt just thinking about it.

    On the other hand, Chris DiMarco, along with father and son players Bill and Jay Haas, former U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman and Kevin Stadler, was among the other players who failed to qualify. Then, just to make those guys feel even worse, 51 year old Champions Tour player, and two-time major champion Mark O'Meara made the cut, while 19-year-old phenom Rory McIlroy fell short.

    As I’ve said before, life isn’t fair, and golf is worse than that.

    Speaking of age, when I heard 48 year old Kenny Perry say earlier in the year that his goal was to work his way into the top 30 Official World Rankings and make the Ryder Cup, I’ll admit that I laughed a bit. Pardon me Kenny, who is now ranked 27th in the world after his win at The Memorial and seems a shoo-in to make the Ryder Cup team. The Kentucky native was determined to play his way into a hometown host position for the Cup, which is being played at the Valhalla Golf Club down Louisville way, and it looks like he’s going to make it.

    How can Steve Stricker still be ranked 7th in the world, and 19th on the money list? I haven’t seen him all year, have you?

    I guess Stewart Cink is destined to always be the bridesmaid, at least this year. The tall bald is 1st in top tens, but has no wins. He’s also 5th in FedExCup points and last in NASCAR Nextel Points, if you care about that sort of thing.

    Speaking of “if you care” stuff. An 18-year-old by the name of Amy Yang, had a course-record 63 on Saturday and finished 21-under par to win the Ladies German Open by four strokes. However, the headline in the paper read “Michelle Wie Finishes Sixth.” Sorry Amy.

    To her credit, Wie had a last-round 67 to finish 14 under, her first time under par since July 2006 -- a streak of 13 events that included seven missed cuts.

    "It's been a really long time since I shot that score," Wie said. "So now I know what it feels like and can put it in the memory bank. And I feel like I can go lower."

    Who knows, maybe she’s back.

    Speaking of back, did you notice that Mike Weir is back. The diminutive Canadian, who had been battling putting woes for a while, finished tied for second two shots behind Kenny Perry at the Memorial.

    Friends and fellow competitors once upon a time on the Canadian Tour, Steve Stricker and Weir got to talking at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Winner of the 2003 Masters, Weir was bemoaning his putting when Stricker, one of the best on the greens, offered a tip and a lifeline to lower scoring.

    In five minutes, Weir was a new man at least in the task of rolling a little white ball.

    Weir confirmed that the tip wasn't anything mysterious about feel or pace. "It was really just a little more acceleration," said Weir. "That was just it. So just something simple."

    Most of life’s enduring lessons are something that simple, aren’t they?




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  • Interview with Tiger Woods - PGA Championship Media Day

    Here's a transcript of the interview with Tiger Woods at yesterday's PGA Championship Media Day that we'd like to share with you...

    JULIUS MASON:  Good afternoon everyone.  I'm Julius Mason, Senior Director of Communications and Media Relations for the PGA of America.  Welcome to the 90th PGA Championship Media Day.

    We have a number of special guests in our audience, and we would like you to meet some of them now.

    From the Michigan PGA Section, Secretary Gary Koenes.

    And the Michigan PGA Section Executive Director, Kevin Helm.

    From Oakland Hills Country Club, Chief Operating Officer, Rick Bayliss;  PGA Head Professional Pat Croswell; and, Superintendent Steven Cook.

    The Secretary of The PGA of America, from Phoenix, Maryland, Allen Wronowski.

    And the PGA Championship Tournament Director for this event, Ryan Cannon.

    Now it is my pleasure to introduce the president of The PGA of America, from Bend, Oregon, Brian Whitcomb.

    BRIAN WHITCOMB:  Thank you, Julius and welcome everyone.  It's so nice to be back in Michigan.

    The 2004 Ryder Cup doesn't seem like it was that long ago.  In just two months, Oakland Hills Country Club will continue a PGA Championship tradition of testing the world's greatest players on some of the world's greatest golf courses.

    History has proven that the strongest fields in Major Championship golf have been at PGA Championships.  Since 1991, the PGA Championship has hosted the deepest field based on the official World Golf Rankings.

    Last year's championship at Southern Hills featured 97 of the top 100 world ranked players and 64 players representing 22 countries, the most of any U.S. Major.

    The PGA Championship also is the only championship that features an all professional field.  20 members of the field are the nation's finest PGA club professionals.

    The excitement of the PGA Championship commands a global audience.  In addition to the millions of U.S. viewers who will watch some 28 hours of championship coverage by CBS Sports and TNT, millions of viewers in more than 194 countries and territories with a household reach of more than 594 million also will watch the exciting action of the season's final Major Championship.

    We are extremely excited about returning to this community.  We know the 90th PGA Championship will draw enthusiastic galleries to Oakland Hills and we look forward to seeing you in August.

    JULIUS MASON:  Thanks, Brian.  And now let's hear from one of our key partners who is responsible for bringing the PGA Championship to the world through the magic of television, ladies and gentlemen, CBS Sports' Rob Correa.

    ROB CORREA:  Thank you, Julius.  I would also like to thank the PGA of America, Allen and Brian, Joe, who is not here.  We have a terrific relationship with the PGA, one that we see continuing year after year.  I would also like to thank Turner, David Levy and his guys; we have done the PGA Championship for a number of years with them.  And that's, that will be a lot harder to do if we didn't have such a good relationship.

    The 2008 PGA Championship will be CBS's 18th in a row since we started in 1991.  And as you saw on the video there's been some really amazing moments, from Daly's Cinderella Story the first year we got the PGA back.  To Davis' rainbow and Tiger's incredible playoff with Bob May.  Sergio running around the fairways.  It's been an incredible run.  I'm sure we'll see some amazing things this year.

    Our schedule, we will be doing two preview shows in late July and early August and then highlights Thursday and Friday night of the PGA at 12:30, 7 a.m. and then we're on the air for the third and final rounds at 2 o'clock on the weekend.

    Last year close to 32 million people watched some part of the third and final round on CBS over the weekend.  Which is really, that's a significant number for any television program and it's really a special number for golf.  Clearly this is one of the preeminent events in golf and the viewership that we get proves that.

    Lance Barrow is our coordinating producer and Steve Nelson is our coordinating director.  This will be their 12th year together producing and directing the PGA.  We don't think there's a better team in golf.  Our talent configuration will include Bill Macatee, Verne Lundquist, Gary McCord, Ian Baker Finch, Peter Oosterhuis, Peter Kostis, David Feherty and on 18, Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo.  So without a doubt in a couple of months, be here before we know it, we look forward to more memorable moments at the PGA.  Thank you, Julius.

    JULIUS MASON:  Now from Turner Sports, the PGA of America's television and digital media partner, President David Levy.  David.

    DAVID LEVY:  Thank you, Julius.  We're also very proud of the partnership that we have with CBS and the folks from the PGA of America and in fact this is our 17th consecutive year that Turner Sports is televising the PGA Championships and the 10th year that we are now putting it on TNT.

    And we're looking forward to our announcers and our team covering these four days exclusively with CBS our partners, with great analysis and great coverage.

    I'm also proud to announce today that we, that we are announcing that Ian Baker Finch will be working our booth alongside our other key announcers, Ernie Johnson, Billy Kratzert and Jim Huber who is here today.  Ian has previously been a part of our 2003, 2004 British Open and we're delighted to have him back in this year's PGA Championship on TNT.  And for everybody in this room, I don't think we could have had that happen without our friends at CBS letting us help in making that happen for us.

    As we venture into our 17th year of coverage I'm proud to reflect our long standing relationship with the PGA of America which is a significant partnership for Turner Sports' portfolio.  And as Julius mentioned, for the last two decades we have been working together to produce the best on air coverage of the PGA Championships as well as the PGA Grand Slam of America.

    And we ever extended this partnership to include the award winning PGA.com.

    This marks the third year that we'll consecutively coverage on the PGA Championship on PGA.com.  It will be live broadband coverage that you'll be able to see throughout the four days.

    In 2007 PGA.com streamed more than 45 hours of this tournament coverage yielding more than 2 million streams and 165 million page views over the course of the four days.  TNT is proud to be a part of this event.  We look forward to being back here in Detroit.  And go Red Wings tonight.

    JULIUS MASON:  Thank you very much David and now ladies and gentlemen let's hear from our host, the 90th PGA Championship general chairman, Mike Mihalich.

    MIKE MIHALICH:  Thanks, Julius.  On behalf of the members of the 90th PGA Championship Committee and Oakland Hills Country Club, I'd like to thank all of you in this room for your support of this great championship.

    We are proud of the history of Oakland Hills Country Club, which currently is ranked 17th by Golf Digest in its list of America's 100 greatest golf courses.

    During its 90 year history, Oakland Hills Country Club has hosted 16 premier championships, including six U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships, two U.S. Senior Opens, the U.S. Women's Amateur, the U.S. Men's Amateur, Western Open, Carling World Open, and the 35th Ryder Cup in 2004.

    It's not too late to secure tickets to the season's final Major and we have information to help your readers, viewers, and listeners.

    We feature various ticket packages in order to give golf fans an opportunity to participate in this Major Championship in a way that best fits their schedule.

    Fans may purchase tickets via the Internet at www.PGA2008.com.  Or, they can also call 1 800 PGA GOLF.

    Ticket packages include juniors admitted free of charge for the entire week if accompanied by a ticket bearing adult.  Those details are in your news kit.

    Again, ladies and gentlemen, Oakland Hills Country Club is honored to be hosting the 90th PGA Championship and we look forward to seeing you all there in August.

    JULIUS MASON:  Thanks, Mike.  And now, let's hear one more time from Brian Whitcomb.

    BRIAN WHITCOMB:  Thanks, Julius.  The PGA Championship has been fortunate each year to produce special signature moments from champions who capture the Wanamaker Trophy.

    Those images are forever etched in time and serve as wonderful memories for golf fans throughout the world.

    Our defending champion took control last year at Southern Hills Country Club, with a record heat index of 112 degrees.  He started with a birdie on the opening hole and cruised to a five stroke victory.

    His victory was his fourth in the PGA Championship, to give him 13 Major Championships.

    He is ranked No. 1 in the world, and he has displayed early this year that he has the momentum to make this an even more memorable season in his career.

    And for those of you that have difficulty remembering Tiger's victory last year, here is a little reminder.

    (Video played.)

    RIAN WHITCOMB:  We are proud to welcome our defending PGA Champion, via satellite, Tiger Woods.  Tiger, thanks for joining us.

    TIGER WOODS:  How you doing, Brian.

    BRIAN WHITCOMB:  Good, buddy.

    JULIUS MASON:  Mr. Woods, Julius Mason here.  We're joined by about 75 of your closest friends and I think off the top of their head they have one burning question for you, Detroit or Pittsburgh tonight?  In the Stanley Cup finals.

    (Laughter.)

    TIGER WOODS:  That's pretty good.  I don't really care, let's talk about the Dodgers.

    (Laughter.)

    JULIUS MASON:  Politically correct as always and that's what we  

    TIGER WOODS:  I don't think anybody really watches hockey any more.

    (Laughter.)

    JULIUS MASON:  Tiger, before we go to Q&A, some opening thoughts about returning to Oakland Hills.  I think the last time you were here might have been 2004.

    TIGER WOODS:  That would be correct.  Yes.

    JULIUS MASON:  Your thoughts about returning and defending your championship here?

    TIGER WOODS:  Looking forward to it.  I played there twice, I played there in '96 as an amateur and then I played in the Ryder Cup in 2004 and definitely one of the one of the hardest golf courses that you can play.  The greens are absolutely demanding.  The way it's usually set up for the last two times I played it's been difficult, it's been testing, the weather's been a little bit of a factor but not too much of a factor.  But more than anything it's just the greens.  The golf course is, you can hide some of these pins where it's just virtually impossible to get at.  These greens are as hard to get your speed right, read them correctly, they're probably just as    I won't say as demanding as Oakmont, but certainly not too far behind.

    JULIUS MASON:  Thanks very much Mr. Woods.  I think we're going to go ahead and go to Q&A now.

    Q.  Can you just give us an update on your health and how excited you are to play in the U.S. Open coming up.

    TIGER WOODS:  I'm looking forward to it.  It's been obviously been awhile since I've played and competitively, and really looking forward to getting out there and mixing it up with the guys.  I really do miss it, I really do miss being in that competitive environment.  That's the atmosphere in general, I just, I do miss it.

    Q.  Welcome to Hockey Town by the way.  So in '96 you were the amateur?

    (Laughter.)

    You were playing as an amateur playing in the '96 Open and you shoot that 76 with the 8 on 16.  And in the Ryder Cup we know what happened there in 2004.  What are your overall feelings?  Do you have warm fuzzy feelings for Oakland Hills or are you kind of a little skittish about it.

    TIGER WOODS:  I thought Oakland Hills was a big turning point for me as an amateur.  I led the U.S. Open at one point.  I was tied for the lead.  Early in that back nine on Thursday.  Collapsed on that coming in.  All predicated on a ruling that I had on what was it, 14?  And just let that upset me and then played terrible coming in.  But the second round, Friday's round is what really turned my sights into possibly turning pro later that summer.  That's when I went out and shot 69 to make the cut.  That was a big turning point for me as an amateur and then I played well at the British Open later that year and then obviously won the amateur.

    So I think Oakland Hills for me as an amateur was a big turning point to possibly turning pro and then obviously the Ryder Cup was very disappointing.  We lost by as big a margin as we did.  We didn't play well and we certainly didn't make the putts we needed to make.

    Q.  What do you think about the changes or have you, are you familiar with them yet, the Rees Jones changes made here the U.S. Open doctor for this year's PGA Championship?

    TIGER WOODS:  I have not.  I haven't heard of the changes yet.  Since I played there in 2004.  So looking forward to checking it out and seeing what he's done.

    Q.  You intend to get out here before the tournament a few times?

    TIGER WOODS:  I normally do that.  I normally play a Major Championship site prior to the week to take a look at it especially since we haven't been there in a while.  I don't really do it at Augusta unless they made changes.  But since they didn't make any changes I didn't go.  But normally I do go up there early to a U.S. Open site or a PGA venue.  Don't go really to a British Open and then come back.  I just go over there just for the week.

    Q.  You'll be, I think, here in less than a month about an hour north at the Buick open.  Wondering if that might be a time when you would sneak down for some practice rounds and my second question, are your thoughts regarding Annika's retirement, she's kind of in that echelon where you are and I wonder what your thoughts were about her stepping down.

    TIGER WOODS:  As far as playing a practice round that's not a bad idea.  I've haven't looked at doing that, but now that you mention it it's not a bad idea.  But don't get any ideas.  Don't come out there and have all the crews out there following me.

    (Laughter.)

    As far as Annika and her retirement, I'm very happy for her.  It was something that she's been talking about for a little while.  And for guys and girls are, it's two totally different things.  She's at a time when in her life that she really wants to have a family.  She wants to do that.  And it's really hard to try and play the TOUR and she's done it all, been through it, and been there for longer than most people could have ever dreamt of being there.  So Annika the type of person that doesn't really do anything half ass, she has to do it all out.  And if she can't dedicate the time to being a full time golfer and being the No. 1 player in the world any more, that type of dedication, then she's not going to do it.  And that's why when we talked about it she was very happy and I could hear it in her voice she's very content with her decision.  She's ready to move on.

    Q.  Tiger, to the outside world a lot of people don't look as the golf swing as being a really physically demanding thing about when you swing as hard as you do you obviously put a lot of pressure, could you talk about the swing in terms of how much force you put, you played a lot of other sports, how much pressure it putts on the body and do you think that your left knee is something that you're just going to be dealing with for the rest of your career?

    TIGER WOODS:  As far as force, yeah, most, you don't realize most of the guys out there who do play are a little bit nicked up.  A little bit injured.  But generally it isn't their left knee it's usually their left hip, right hip, lower back, neck, shoulder, wrist, elbows, those are very common injuries.  And some guys get even a little more severe than that.  But for me it's been my left knee.  That's been kind of where the force of my golf swing has taken basically the brunt of it.  And it's one of the reasons why I made the changes to what Hank and I have been working on over the years to try a get rid of some of that, alleviate the strain of that.  So that I can play for a longer duration.  And it's been working, but still I've done it for so long people don't realize I've been playing golf for oh, geez, basically 30 years now.  Put it in terms like that, it's, you can say it's been awhile.

    Q.  My question is, can you put mental toughness into words and how did you acquire it?

    TIGER WOODS:  Well mental toughness, I think that I guess you could put it into words.  It's stuff like you never give up.  You never give in to anything.  You never accept anything but best, except the very best from yourself.  You can always push to get better.  It is all    you can look at it different ways.  But as far as acquiring it, I wanted to become tougher when I was a kid because I knew that I didn't have the physical gifts to play golf.  The guys that I was playing against were longer, they were bigger than me, I was very small, very frail, very thin.  And the only thing I could rely on is my mind to get me around a golf course.  And so strategically my dad and I started working on course management, started working on how can I be tougher, not let things get to me.

    Those are things that I have, I worked on with my dad to get to this level and he certainly has helped paved the way to, basically get me started going down that road.

    Q.  A quick follow up if you don't mind, a different question though, on any tournament Sunday it's got to be a boost to you knowing that you've done it before.  But there is, is there added value, if you're in the same situation and it's the Sunday of a Major?

    TIGER WOODS:  There's absolutely no doubt about it.  Absolutely no doubt about it.  The fact that you can say that you've done it before and know that and mean it, some guys say, oh, yeah, I've done it before, but it's been in junior or amateur golf or I've done it in a mini tour event or even a bigger stage, even a Regular Tour event.  Back nine on Sunday of a Major Championship or just Sunday in general, is a totally different animal.  The pressure's much more immense.  You deal with the different type of emotions.  You know that you can really can't make the mistakes that you can get away with in a normal event.  Mistakes are much more grand.  And you just have to minimize your mistakes, but also hang around and beat everyone there.  So it makes for a very interesting atmosphere.  Plus there's a lot of different commotion and movement and photographers or media spectators, there's a lot more of a frenzied atmosphere in a Major Championship on Sunday.

    Q.  It's well known how hard you work out away from the golf course and how often you work out.  My question is, now after three operations on the same knee, have you given any thought or consideration to either adjusting or cutting back the, these sort of delta force work outs that you do?

    TIGER WOODS:  Certainly not cutting back.  That's the only thing that's kept me going.  If I didn't have the leg as strong as it is, I would have had more damage earlier on.  So the work outs have certainly saved me and has allowed me to play as long and as hard as I've wanted to and no, I'm a very thankful I've worked out as hard as I have.  And if I hadn't, I would have been certainly in much worse shape earlier on in my career.

    Q.  To follow up then, can I suggest that it would be better if you work out more now or have you been thinking that you're going to have to work harder possibly now to keep that knee the way you want it to be and the areas around the knee?

    TIGER WOODS:  The older you get    certainly I have.  I certainly have I done that over the years.  I have stepped that up over the years.  And as we all know, the older you get, the more you have to work out to maintain the same or even have just small gains.  And I'm in my prime of my career right now, but still you still have to work out harder and don't forget, it's not like I'm the only one doing it.  I'm not the only one working out.  Everyone else is training, trying to become better and you just have to keep working.

    Q.  I have an equipment question for you.  Not sure how familiar you are, but where do you rang a guy like TP Mills and his putters that he's been doing for years?  Where do you rank him in sort of the echelon of pioneers of putter making and are you familiar with his work?

    TIGER WOODS:  I'm familiar but not too familiar.  I've only tried his putters.  I've never really fully given it a go.  The feel's a little bit different than what I like and the look and the swing.  It's been a little bit different than what I had grown up with.  So and I never really gravitated towards any of his putters.  But I know that a lot of guys have had success with his putters and he's certainly makes a very nice looking blade and as I said, feel wise for me it's been a little bit different than what I've become accustomed to and what I've grown up with.

    Q.  And just a quick follow up then, with the way the industry has become with big, big companies out there, do you have an appreciation for a small company kind of in the out in the middle of Alabama competing with some of the bigger companies?

    TIGER WOODS:  Certainly it's going to be more difficult for them to do that.  The game of golf is exploding all around the world and mass marketing has certainly been something that has taken a lot of the golf companies to higher levels.  I don't think TP's really has been involved into that and I don't know that his success rate right now, I don't know what the what his margins are, but I'm sure that he's doing very well.

    Q.  I wanted to get an update on what you're doing in terms of the 10 days before The Open.  Are you playing or just hitting balls and are you confident you're going to be okay by next week?

    TIGER WOODS:  I've been practicing quite a bit.  I've just started to play some holes.  I've been kind of slowly building up towards that.  I'm not trying to take it too hard.  My practice sessions have increased.  They have gotten a little bit more intense.  I've been out there for longer duration.  And everything's been holding up well.  Which is a good sign.  And it's a matter of now getting to the feel of playing again and hopefully all that will come together right there come Thursday.

    Q.  Expectations at Torrey Pines?  Do you feel close to a hundred percent?

    TIGER WOODS:  I feel like I'm getting there.  I feel like I'm getting my leg stronger.  Hopefully it will be close to a hundred percent, but if it's not, no big deal.  I have won tournaments with it not like that before, so just a matter of going out there and really getting into the competitive flow.  A lot faster than I had done a couple years ago at Winged Foot.  I got into the competitive flow three, four holes into each round.  You can't do that.  I got to be in the flow right on the very if first tee box and get into the rhythm of the round very quickly.

    Q.  In retrospect do you wish you had done the surgery at a different time, for instance last year's off season or was the time right when you did it?

    TIGER WOODS:  We tried to train and get everything as much, well as strong as we possibly can throughout the off season and see how the beginning of the year went.  See how it felt, whether it had got any better from last year.  Obviously I played all right at the beginning of the year, but it kept degrading and it wasn't getting any better.  Towards the Florida swing it started getting a little bit worse and then it wasn't getting any better.  It wasn't showing any signs of getting better.  It showed signs early on in the off season, but the more I played, the worse it became.

    Q.  In your absence from the TOUR the past obviously number of weeks have you paid attention to what's been going on with the TOUR with the other guys or have you avoided it?

    TIGER WOODS:  I haven't seen too much golf unless some of my friends have been playing.  They have been up there in contention.  Other than that I really haven't watched a whole lot of golf.  I've been trying to    I've made kind of a pact to myself a long time ago that I wouldn't watch unless some of my friends were playing in contention.  This that's kind of something that helps me get away from the game a little bit.  But some of my buddies were there with a chance to win, I'll be glued to the TV.

    Q.  I thought I read the other day that your daughter clunked you in the head and I read that  

    TIGER WOODS:  Oh, yeah.

    Q.  I'm wondering is she old enough yet to yell fore and has heredity helped her swing at this point?

    TIGER WOODS:  The only thing she yells out is da da.  That's about it.  She's, she will drag, we have a small little cut down club that a little cut down putter that she will drag around that's kind of funny.  She likes that.  She likes throwing balls at Taz, my border collie, and have him try and catch it or go catch and it's kind of funny to see a 11 month old and my border collie go ahead and play fetch.  That's pretty funny to watch but it's actually one of the coolest things to watch.

    Q.  After your surgery what are you going to do to improve your putting game?  Will there be a lot more strength in your left knee coming up in the U.S. Open and a follow up for Oakland Hills?

    TIGER WOODS:  My leg doesn't really do anything with my putting.  I just had one poor putting week.  It just happened to be at the Masters.  If I putt well, who knows.  But I putted well every other tournament prior to that.  Putted in spurts at Doral.  But I guess people forget that I won a few tournaments right before that.

    (Laughter.)

    Q.  Just wondering if there's a different feeling for you and for the other players coming into the last Major of the year, coming into the PGA Championship versus going into the Masters or one of the earlier Majors?

    TIGER WOODS:  There's no doubt it's the last one it is your last shot.  And I wouldn't say there's a sense of urgency, but you know that it's the last one.  You just have to    you understand there's really no other Major to prepare for after that.  So you got to get it done here.  And especially since there's been times when I haven't won a Major that year and I've always considered having a Major Championship in one year, it's a great year.  It turns a good year into a great year.  And that's your last shot at winning a Major Championship if you already hadn't won one and there are times when you want to add to that.  If I've been in a couple occasions where I won one prior to that.  Sometimes one them twice.  And you want to get one more.  You want to have just an unbelievable year.

    Q.  You won the last two PGAs, is there something about the set up for the PGA institutes with Kerry Haigh that suits your game or what is it about the tournament or the set up that you think favors you or does it not?

    TIGER WOODS:  I remember going into Tulsa that everyone thought the golf course didn't fit me.  I wasn't the right person to win there on that venue.  So it's all about playing well.  Whether it's how Kerry sets up the golf course or how Mike sets it up at the U.S. Open, it basically if you're playing well you're going to be in contention.  And just a matter of having all the pieces come together at the right time and that's the trickiest part about it is there's four Major as year that you want to have your game peak and come together for and that's one of the hardest tasks there is to have it all come together at the right time and the last two years I've really played well and I've played well at the right time.

    Q.  Can you tell me when you are putting extremely well what is the last thought that you have standing over the ball before you take your putter back?

    TIGER WOODS:  I couldn't tell you what's the last thought, I just, there's a line or a point or a feel, it's different from putt to putt.  Sometimes I'll see like a lane, sometimes I'll just pick a spot.  It's easy to hit that spot.  Sometimes I'll be working on my speed, sometimes I'll    I just see it and just get up there and just hit it.  Every putt's different.  But you just know that every putt's going to go in.  And that's a pretty sweet feeling that no matter what speed I hit putts at, whether it's going to run three, four feet by or it's just going to die in the front lip, whatever speed you hit it, it's going in.  Those are fun days.

    Q.  Just wondering, when you've been practicing and playing recently, are you trying to overcome the pain if there is any or is it a more a matter of just getting back into the groove after being away from it for so long.  And also wondered if next week were not Major Championship, would you be playing?

    TIGER WOODS:  Second part of your question is, yes.  The first part of your question is no.  Pain is not really an issue.  It was early on, but not right now.  Which is a good thing.  It's about getting endurance back up in the leg, getting it used to twisting and torquing and hitting ball after ball after ball after ball after ball.  Countless balls.  And getting accustomed to that.  And obviously making sure my endurance is up for the U.S. Open.

    Q.  When you haven't been on diaper duty I'm trying to piece this together here, have you walked or ridden an entire 18 holes on the home track there yet or are you just kind of piecing this together and in baby steps, no pun intended.

    TIGER WOODS:  I have been around 18 holes.  It was just for an outing.  But I haven't played 18 holes yet, no.

    Q.  I'm wondering if you could explain when you are in the rough particularly like you would see at a Major Championship how much extra torque I suppose puts on that knee.  And along the same lines how do you expect the set up at Torrey Pines to be different next week than you usually see at the end of January?

    TIGER WOODS:  As far as the rough, no, actually puts less torque on my knee.  For some reason I, the rough just stops everything.  There's no, really no twisting, the rough just takes all the energy away and you just kind of bound it down there maybe a hundred yards and let it roll.

    But as far as the set up, I'm curious to see what the fairway lines are.  I'm curious to see how the ball's running.  When we play there each and every January it's not ever really running it's usually soft, overcast, sometimes it's even raining, cool.  We don't have the run out in some of the fairways like for instance number 4, how they have changed the bunkering there down that rate side, that is going to be more of a challenge to actually put the ball in that fairway.  You just hit it down there we used to, but now with it running it can roll off to the left side there and you run out of room.  Same thing on 5.  You run out of room down the right.  So it will be interesting to see how the golf course is, the speed of it really is.  You know the greens are going to be hard and fast.  We have played them hard, but not really this fast.  We played them the first year they had the redesign, the year that Ollie won, they were unbelievably firm.  Almost like how they were at Bay Hill when they first redid them.

    They were just like concrete.  But they weren't up to speed of a U.S. Open.  So I'm sure it will be certainly probably that firm and at the speed of a U.S. Open and USGA pins.

    Q.  Do you plan on playing 18 holes soon so that you can test your endurance and also to see how you're going to feel the next day to simulate a little bit of what next week will be?

    TIGER WOODS:  Definitely.  Without a doubt I'll be playing a lot more than just 18 holes.

    JULIUS MASON:  Tiger believe it or not unless you want to go for another five more hours of asking and answering questions, I think we're going to let you go.  So on behalf of your friends from Oakland Hills, on behalf of your friends from the PGA of America and from all your friends in Detroit, from the Detroit Red Wings, thank you very much for joining us today and we'll see you soon, Tiger.

    (Laughter.)

    TIGER WOODS:  You got it Julius.  Take it easy, buddy.  See you, Brian.

    JULIUS MASON:  I'd like to thank everyone with us today for participating in PGA Championship Media Day and remind you that a transcript from today's news conference will be available on PGA.com.

    Please be sure to pick up a PGA Championship News Kit on your way out.  Good afternoon, everyone.




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