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Central: Tiger Woods news conference (16:21)
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Tiger Woods talks to the press after his round Saturday at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
TRANSCRIPTS
-All right Tiger, thanks, as always for coming and joining
us, many congratulations, an excellent 3rd round in 66. It's
got better every round for you. Do you feel that
way within yourself? -Yeah, actually, I played well today. So,
I'm saying out there to some of the guys that
this seemed like I didn't do a lot of things
right, but I didn't a lot of thing wrong today.
It was just very consistent, you know, made a couple
of putts here and there, played the par 5's a
little bit better, but it was just a very consistent
round of golf. I stayed away from trouble and tried
to keep the ball towards the fat side of somebody's
pins and I think I did a pretty good job
out today. -Sure, I know drop as well is always
pleasing on that round, isn't it. -Yeah, I made a
couple of putts I need to make for par, but
overall it was a very consistent day thus far, I
mean, that's kind of [unk]. -Moving to some questions, would
you have microphones to Graham please? -Thank you. -How much
satisfaction do you get out of that consistency to you?
-Yeah, I hit-- It's fun when I'm able to control
the golf ball like I did. I was able to
shoo the ball both ways and changes my trajies along
the way. So, that was nice today, and you know,
the wind just picking up enough. It was just enough
where every now and again I had the flight one,
which was I was able to flight it either way.
So, that was good. -Yes. Rex, front left to you.
-Tiger, you said, you mentioned the par 5's outside on
the back 9 when you played and 2 and you're
1 under for the week going into that back 9.
Is that really what determined is how you started making
your round. -Well, you know, as missed up there at
8, you know, right from the green, it easy up
and down, and messed that up. So, then it was
nice when it start the back 9. I hadn't birdied
10 yet, and hit a nice drive down there and
I had-- It was borderline I can get a 5
with there, but I saw one was coming off to
the right, so I just bank it trough went up
in there, held it, and 2 putter on 18. I
had exactly the same shot as I had on 10.
I wasn't quite sure I could get 5 wood over
the front bunker. So, I want with 3 wood and
just played long and I just tried to, like I
told you, I'm gonna hit the same shot I hit
on 10. And it worked out. -Tiger, are you matching
your own expectations for this week? -Say it gain? -Are
you matching the expectations that you had for this week?
-Well, I wanna be in the same position on Sunday.
-You have a [unk] I mean in playing other than
the thought you might? Are you playing as well-- -No,
been playing, playing well. -Yes, bob, just get the microphone
just behind you there, thank you. -Tiger, obviously, you've been
working for a long time to get your swing to
work at this level, you know, to make it work
under pressure. Is this what you need though now? I
mean to have it in this position you're leading or
tied for lead and have the final round to put
it under the gun. -Yeah, well I tested that at
the World Challenge, so that was something. I was on
the same position in Australia and I am finishing third
there, then the World Challenge, you know, I was right
there with Zach in going the final round, and I
was able to finish that one also. You know, things
are progressing in my last few stroke play events. So,
it's getting better. -Yes gentlemen, [unk] -Yes, Eliot from Mumbai
Mirror, -Uh huh. -And I just wanna know, are you
ready for the Masters? -I would like to be a
little bit better than I am now, so-- -We pray
well today Tiger. -Thank you. -But, you know, as long
as I win, obviously, I'm building towards that, and this
is a step to the right direction. -Michael please. -Yes,
Tiger, in Dubai last year, you had, I think 66
on Saturday and you're in contention coming on Sunday. How
did you feel differently, physically, mentally compared to a year
ago? -Well, a year ago, I didn't have the knowledge
that I have about what Sean is trying to get
me to do. I didn't understand all the numbers and
obviously the fixes. So, when I was playing the World
Challenge 2 world challenges ago, I ended up losing the
ground down the stretch, but that week I hit the
ball well, but it was basically 1 shot putter, and
when I got to Dubai, I had the same pattern,
and unfortunately, the wind kicked up, and I lost, I
think it was either 6 or 7 shots on the
right to left wind that can hold it and that
basically cost the tournament. You know, right, now I'm able
to shoot the ball both ways, and change my trajs
along the way so that's-- I'm heading the right direction.
-Yes, ben on the front to you. -Tiger Woods played,
I think, on 7 season open since you turned pro
in 1997 and in 6 of those years, you've gone
on to win a major, does that [unk] mean anything
to you, and if not, could talk a little bit
about early season momentum and at least how important that
is. -Well, I didn't know that's good immediately though. So,
it'd be good if I win tomorrow, then-- you know,
I have-- I've had, you know, a break, so I
figured, you know, that's like practicing to get ready for
season opener. I've always done well when I take breaks.
If you look at my carrier, when I extend the
break and I come back, I used to play pretty
good because I'm able to work in peace and work
on my game and get everything situated. I come to
determine I'm pretty ready, but also I'm mentally fresh. I
don't play a lot in terms [unk] because of that
and I think that's more important for me to be
at home and practice in peace and get ready. -Yes,
john, send it there please. -Tiger, I think I'm not
saying that Sean is not here. Have you spoken to
him this week? Have you had any communication? If so,
what was he saying? -Yeah, he text me everyday. He
says just keeping doing what I'm doing. He likes the
position of the clubs in. He likes the move. He
can see my throw pattern for either shot and he
really likes the release pattern attack on also. Everything is
positive. -[unk] please. -Hey, Tiger, Rory spoke about the little
3 wood that you keep, you can keep hitting throughout
the day, whole day without failing one. Is that the
new shot that you have developed like the stinger that
you had or is that a new safety shot that
you play that you don't want to hit the driver?
-Well, I wasn't-- I didn't have the club on the
right position to play a stinger shot. You know, the
club was not in a good position at all and
has been like that for a very long time. So,
now, I got the club in a position where I
can hit that shot and I get some hit on
it and get out there, given the right conditions and
if I chase that out there little bit of a
draw I can almost hit as far as my driver.
So, having the club in the right position with some
speed is nice, but also, you know, I can drop
down and carve it out there a little bit. So,
depends on the hole, you know, there are quite a
few holes out there today. For some reason, you just
have to work out today where I had a drop
down and then bleed it out there. Got to take
some distance off of it because the normal 3 would
go trough a corner, and just gonna have it work
out that way today. -[unk] please. -Just for the golf
geeks amongst us, can you explain your practice swing routine?
Because it looks like you're trying to hit everything with
a cut or does it keep from getting stuck-- -No,
I think-- -cutting across it. -It depends. You know, it
depends if I'm taking a divot or not. It depends
if that's gonna be-- if I take a divot, obviously,
the putter is gonna, you know, left from [unk] it
out and have zero plane, zero type angle and it
will be a little bit different for draw. So, you
know, it does change, but sometimes, it's more less than
others, but generally, the pattern is gonna be more left,
yes. -Peter in the center, please. -Tiger -Yeah. -How about
that? When you're doing rebuild of your swing and just
little while, was there a eureka moment when it actually
suddenly clicks when you're on the range or playing actually
on the course? -No, it wasn't. It was just a
progression, you know, but I think it was an understanding
of what my numbers are, you know, that's one of
the things that, you know, working with Sean and going
through it and tightening in up my shot pattern. When
I thought I was doing, I wasn't doing and it
was pretty eye opening. So, I was finally was able
to get health enough where I could get the raps
in, I think, start come a long pretty quickly, and
I think that's one of the reasons why Australia happened
as fast as it did. -And just a followup with
that, was there a moment when you actually thought, I
don't want to do this because it's so difficult and
wanting to go back? -No, no, never. -Well, down in
the front please. -Tiger, one of those times when you
were not doing what you thought was at the PGA,
I supposed, -Huh. -You were pretty frustrated about, you know,
trying to do it one way and it didn't workout,
and just wondering from that point on aside from the
health part getting healthier along the way, what's been the
biggest improvement since then? -Well, I think it's the number
of reps I'll be able to get in. I just
got in, you know, it's just one of those things
where you don't have enough raps under your belt to
change you motor patterns, you don't revert it back, and
you know, I was finally able to get the raps
in and once I get the rap count in, then
things are coming, and my body is remembering these positions
because this is what used to be when I was
kid, and that's one of the things that Sean showed
me some video stuff when I was, you know, much
younger back in my teenage years, I was in the
same intact position and is like-- and that's amazing. We
need to get back there. That's where you play some
pretty good golf and I said, yeah, you're right, I
did. So, I'm getting there slightly differently with a better
knowledge, but it's looking very similar. -Yes, Graham, center please.
-Tiger, how much do you know of Robert Rock. -A
little bit, I mean, not a lot, I mean, I
know-- I've seen his swing and I know he likes
[unk] quite a bit, so you know, he went last
year at the US Open and qualify and just got
in and then showed up at congressional at the last
minute and played well too, actually. -Paul, please. -Could rate
your game and confidence out of 10 as it is
right now, and when was the tournament that you felt
better than this? I mean-- -Well, rate my game, I'm
not gonna do that. It's getting better, how about that?
Or I felt better than this, probably the world challenge.
I was hitting my irons better than I am now,
but I wasn't driving the ball quite as well as
I am right now. -Please get the microphone, [unk] please,
center. -Tiger, this is not your first time here in
Abu Dhabi, but [unk] coming here for 7 years. What
are you feelings now about Abu Dhabi and the course,
you know, the fans that you're falling around for the
last 3 days. -Yeah, it was nice to have them
come out today. This is I guess the start of
the weekend, so it was nice for them like come
out and it was nice atmosphere today. The people are
into it and, you know, Rory and I been, seems
like we're playing together everyday [unk] we have practice round,
you know, 3 tournaments rounds so for 3 days and,
you know, each day, the galleries have gotten bigger and
bigger and bigger. So, it was fun. I guess, you
can see that everyone is excited to be out there
and the weather is perfect to come out and watch
the event. It's a great leaderboard. So, I think everyone
is happy. -Jimmy please. -I'm just interested when you say--
sorry Tiger -Yeah. -When Sean found those pictures of you,
you know, what you used to be like. Where did
he find those pictures? In magazine, [unk]. -I don't know,
he just had them. -And was that an important moment
when he said that to you was that sort of
like Peter said, was that eureka moment when you saw
that position? -Now, that's why my father, remember, should be
there because I used to do it. I used to
do it naturally, and you know, then got away from
that and he's just trying to put me in a
position where it's very natural and as you can see
when I get out there, the swing is comfortable because
I remember being in these positions and it's one of
the reasons why I'm hitting balls much farther because, you
know, when I was young, I was actually, you know,
pretty long for my age, and you know, I'm starting
to as my club, you know, is getting in better
position. Now, I'm stronger than I used to be [unk]
for me. -Okay, time for a [unk] please. -I thought
I was gonna ask about Robert Rock [unk], you know,
little bit about Robert. Is it making much difference of
difference when you're going to the last part of minute
[unk] a much better player, [unk] his game or he
sort of-- -Well, there are too many guys up there
right now, you know, there are ton of guys with
the chance to win and, you know, we have not
separated ourselves from the field, and the field is very
bunched, and I need to go out there and then
put together a solid round of golf, and you know,
and [unk] go out there [unk] par and expect to
win, I know I got to go out there and
go get it. This golf course, you can show, you
know, 65's and 64's as some of the guys did
today. It can be [unk] drive the ball on the
fairway. The greens are very flat. So, drive the ball
on the fairway out there. You can attack a lot
of these pins or gonna have very flat putt. So,
you know, that being said, I need to build [unk]
rounds a well. -Okay last question. -Alright, Tiger. -Vic in
the front row please, last question, thank you. -Tiger, you
spoke about Rory. -Yeah. -Playing with Rory. How much you
enjoy being around Rory and Robert. -Well, I haven't gotten
a chance to be around Rory a lot, so this
was quite a treat, you know, he's a great kid
and just an unbelievable talent, but just a really nice
kid to be around. He really understands the game he's
growing, I mean, he's so young. He's only 22, and
he's got a-- He's got a major championship behind them.
He sees, he's learning and he's not afraid tho try
shots, which is really cool to see, and just a
matter of time before he, you know, just gains more
knowledge, I mean that's all is gonna take, just more
experience. This year is on tour and getting right scheduling,
getting right preparations, and you know, the whole thing. So,
that's just gonna a tale a little bit of time,
but he's on the right track and I can see
that, and playing with Robert, so much fun. Love playing
with him a lot of times, and were coming off
18th green, and I said to him, it's a little
quitter out here than it was in away with me
knee because when I was hitting shots, you can hear
my knee, you know, putting all over the place. So,
yeah, it was much greater today. -Alright, tiger, thanks as
always, good luck, tomorrow. -Got it.
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