JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Following a pro-am round that was more good walk spoiled than competitive golf, Tiger Woods stopped short of suggesting we should fade him for the foreseeable future … but he also didn’t speak about his desire to win, like he has so many times in the past.
After hitting a drive on the eighth hole of the Northern Trust pro-am Wednesday, Woods decided to rest up the remainder of the round, instead opting to only hit chips and putts.
“Just feeling stiff, being smart about it,” Woods offered afterward in regard to his thought process. “What I did pre-Augusta, where I chipped and putted for nine holes. Same thing.”
He reportedly stiffened up after a weather delay before the round, but insisted any soreness is a day-to-day situation.
“This is how it is,” he said. “Some days I'm stiffer than others. Yesterday I was out there hitting it great. Driving it out there with Brooksy and DJ. Today I'm stiff. Hopefully I'm not that way tomorrow.”
As for his long-term health, Woods spouted the same words he’s repeatedly told us throughout the year.
“I learned a lot last year by playing too much,” he continued. “Coming back from my procedure and not really knowing what to expect, I pushed it pretty hard.
“I vowed I would never do that again. I've cut back the schedule quite a bit, and that's the challenge now because I cut my schedule back, but the problem was, the season changed. And so now we've got a more condensed season, and it's trying to figure out how to stay sharp, practice and also have my back feeling good all the time. It's a challenge.”
Woods is making just his 11th start of the year after playing 19 times in 2018.
More concerning is the upcoming schedule, which could lead to three straight weeks of competitive rounds, something he hasn’t done since last year’s playoffs.
“Yes, there is concern,” he admitted. “Just because given, hopefully, the pressures I'm going to be facing, obviously hopefully put myself in contention. That's why it gets difficult. If you're missing cuts, who cares. You're taking weekends off and a couple extra days of rest. But I'm trying to get myself where I'm in contention, where yeah, it takes a toll on you, and that's what I want to feel.
“I want to feel that type of tiredness where I have a chance to win, had a chance to win, had a chance to win. That's a good feeling.”
