Tiger Woods speaks at press conference at US Open
The test of us opens and I've had a little
bit of success here um back in 99 and 2005
So I'm looking forward to this week and um getting
underway we're gonna go on the right Dan and then
Bob hey Tiger uh we were talking to Colin Morikawa
last week at the memorial and he said you know
doing that clinic with you that your your game the
shots it's all there it's still there
Do you feel like your body right now is in
a spot that you can win this tournament Has it
improved enough to where you feel like you have the
strength to to carry it for four rounds Yeah I
do I I do I do feel like I have
the strength to build to do it
It's just a matter of doing it
Uh this golf course is gonna test every single aspect
of your game uh especially mentally and just the mental
um discipline that it takes to play this this particular
golf course and it's gonna take a lot
And uh uh we've been working on that and making
sure that I understand the game plan and uh be
ready you know in two more days
Stay on the right with Bob Tiger since the PGA
What have you had to focus on the most Is
it more your fitness Is it more your game Um
you know the sharpness part of it And and how
much did coming up here uh I guess last week
help
Oh we've been always working on fitness
Fitness is always a part of it and uh I
did a little bit of work on uh chipping and
putting but nothing can nothing can simulate what we have
here this particular week
Uh the amount of little shots and the knobs and
runoffs and either using wedges or long irons or woods
around the greens or even puts uh uh sorry putter
there's so many different shots that you really can't stimulate
unless you get on on a property
That's one of the reason why I came up here
last Tuesday and be able to try and do that
and we do quite a bit of work
Uh the golf course has turned up gotten faster since
then
And uh even even this week even the rain we
heard had there the other night
Uh the golf course is still faster right and left
Mark Tiger
Um in the last few years at times when you
have struggled the elements have been an issue whether it's
been cold which has not been good for Augusta was
a difficult walk
I'm curious this week where it's gonna be hot what
you like and it's not a taxing walk how how
much that can play in the potential success for you
this week
So I feel like home
This is I mean hot and humid is what we
deal with every single day in Florida
So that that's nothing new
Uh It's it's a matter of just keeping making sure
that I keep hydrated and uh the mental tax that
the heat will bring uh it's gonna bring it to
all of us
Not just me everyone's gonna be tested and um it's
gonna make for a long long rounds with uh with
the falloffs and runoffs on the greens
The rounds time wise are gonna be a little bit
longer and then when you're out in the heat for
that that length of period of time um that's gonna
take a little wear and tear on you
Well I would rather play in hot humid conditions any
day than anything cold
Uh I think pretty much anyone you know my age
to your age will definitely like it
Look a little hotter
We're gonna go far back
Right mark
And then Taylor Tiger Rory described the meeting in New
York with the oar and the Piff as as good
and productive
How would you describe it And and do you see
a light at the end of the tunnel and this
thing getting done It is it is it was productive
and is there light in the tunnel II I think
we're closer to that point than we were preme um
We discussed a lot of different uh endings and how
we get there
And I think that you know both sides walked away
from the meeting felt like um we we all felt
very positive in in the meeting
And as I said both sides were looking at different
ways to to get to the end game
And I think that uh both sides shared a deep
passion for how we need to get there
And yes there are gonna be difference of opinion but
we all want the same thing far back right Taylor
Tiger this is the 1/1000 USGA championship
You're tied for the record with most USGA championships with
nine with Bob Jones
And this week you're receiving the Bob Jones award
What is the significance of all that to you Well
I think anytime you're you're in association with uh with
Mr Jones it's always incredible uh what he did in
his amateur career winning the MS in the opens uh
and then obviously creating Augusta National
Uh the fact that I I get a chance to
be honored with uh his award tonight
It's it's very special
Uh I I've been able to play in this uh
well I would say not in this championship but in
the US G championships since I was 14 years old
So uh it's been a long time and I've always
enjoyed it at at all levels and uh tonight's gonna
be a very special front left Jonathan Tiger
Um how different is the surrounds around the greens different
from what you remember from 99 and 05 And what
sort of thought process goes into what how you're gonna
play it whether it's put or wedge or a seven
or eight iron
Yeah it's all different
Um uh I played under under Ben Ben grass
So now having a Bermuda it's very different
It's grainy
Uh we didn't have the grain on the on the
greens and you know during those open championships and um
they were softer than they are
Now I granted I I know the Surrounds were burnt
out in 05
but the greens were not like what they are right
now
Uh that's very different
And the the the shot selections around the greens are
I think are more plentiful this year from either putting
it to wedging it as you said six or seven
irons
And uh I've used long irons and and woods around
the greens and I've seen a number of guys do
the same thing
So there's a there's a lot of different shot selections
and uh uh the the grain is gonna play a
big part of it and the last few days playing
practice rounds
I I I'm guilty as well as you know the
rest of the guys I played with we've put it
off a lot of greens and I it depends on
how severe the USDA wants to make this and how
close they wanted to get us up to those sides
Um but yeah I I foresee just like in 05
watching some of the guys play ping pong back and
forth so it could happen just a few more Claire
on the right and then Jeff hi Tiger
Um how has it been having Charlie out here with
you And what are his responsibilities kind of as player
support out there Well I think that having Charlie out
here is is very special um to have the the
father son relationship that we have and extend it into
this part of both of our lives
Um he's playing a lot of ginger golf and uh
I'm still playing out here
So uh it's neat for him to to see the
guys that he watches on TV and youtube and tiktok
or wherever where the hell it is um that they
do and uh just to have you know you you
know he he sees it at home
I mean he's with JT and Rick you know a
lot
Um but to to see other guys hit the golf
ball it you know doesn't really do it justice until
you actually see it in person
And he was very excited today to to watch Max
and Min Wu and uh watch them hit golf balls
and they talk to him quite a bit especially Min
Wu and him
I think they're they're closer to age than I am
to anybody else
So uh it it's great
It's great for us to be able to share uh
these moments together and as far as his responsibilities are
it's it's the same
I trust him with my swing in my game
He's seen it more than anybody else in the world
He's seen me at more golf balls than anyone
So um II I tell him what to look for
Um especially the with putting and um he you know
gave me a couple of little side bits today which
is great because II I get so en entrenched in
hitting certain putts to certain pins and I tend to
forget some of the things I'm I'm working on
I just want to see the balls roll and he
reminds me every now and again which is great
Uh we have a great relationship and great rapport like
that and it's a it's a wonderful experience for both
of us
Last question here
Front left
Yeah Tyler welcome back to the Ss
Good to see you
Uh Second off we talked about the renovation first us
open since we did the Renault here
Uh up and downs around the greens
We've seen the putting the chipping the three woods
How do you see yourself approaching that this week I
think I'll do all of the above
Uh There are few areas in which I would put
And there's also a few areas in which I would
use my 56 or 60
Uh I have used up to a floor iron bumping
and run in it and I've tried a few woods
out there
I didn't I didn't like the way that that reacted
Um but some of the areas are more grainy than
others
And I think that's the one of the things I
I me in particular I need to watch out for
is um some of the chatter that you might get
coming up the hills
Um And how much speed you're gonna have coming up
and then over the next ridge that's that's the beauty
of playing Donald Ross golf courses
He he tests you and since the renovation here I
think they've they've done an amazing job of doing that
But just uh I we were talking about the last
couple of days is that when when Donald did this
golf course and made the greens this severe I don't
think he intended to be running at 13 on a
stim meter there was speed of fairways
So you know that's one of the differences and when
you go to most golf courses are they're very severe
but we're playing under faster conditions
So it's it's more of a test and it's gonna
be a great test and a and a great war
attrition this week
It's gonna be um a lot of fun for all
of us
Sorry I forgot about Jeff
Hard to do but Jeff one more Tiger uh was
last week the first time you were here since uh
05
That is correct
So uh we I mean we obviously have talked about
the greens but from your architects uh perspective the look
of the t and the change since you were last
here
What do you think Uh the look of the teas
are about the same
I I know it's more more native and more open
looking
Um but uh from what I've when I watched and
from 05 and and what I saw in 14 uh
yes there is a bit of a change but that's
no no big deal but the surrounds are very different
Um going from bent to Bermuda
It it is a significant change
Um you know we were half joking that by the
end of the week it might be one of those
Bermuda greens when they get so slick that you bend
down to read a putt or you've been down to
fix the ball mark in your potter slips
You know it I think it has that kind of
look and that kind of sheen that it could get
there by by Sunday
Uh The only thing that would stop it was to
be the humidity that's coming in
Uh but it has that look and feel that this
could be one of the one of the opens where
whatever the leading score is um that's probably as low
as we'll ever go that for the first day Tiger
Thanks for your time
We look forward to seeing you tonight at the Bob
Jones awards ceremony
Thank you
Yeah
What's that called So