Tiger’s Honda Classic press conference: Saturday
Q: Not a single wayward shot, but the wind got you a couple of times; what’s your assessment?
TIGER WOODS: I was close to putting a low one up there today. I felt like it could be had, I could make a run and post, what, 5-under par for the day or something like that and get myself within reach, hope the leaders came back to me. But right now, I hope that’s the case. Right now Rory is playing some great golf and I’m eight back as of right now.
Q: It got tougher as the day went on, when did it really start to hit you?
TIGER WOODS: Probably around 4 and 5 it started picking up. Stayed steady once we got to 9, and once we got to the back nine it was whipping out there. 15 and 17 are no fun today.
Q: I don’t know if you heard; there is a 61 out there, though.
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, you know what, I shot 61, but I just needed more holes. If I had stayed at 15, I would have been fine.
Q: Talk about your round a little bit.
TIGER WOODS: Close to hitting a good one today. I hit it good. I putted good. Boy, it was really close to being a really low round today.
Q: You had four putts outside seven feet today by the 10th hole and things seemed to cool off and you didn’t have the same opportunities. How would you assess your putting?
TIGER WOODS: I putted great today. By the time we got to the back nine it was whipping and it’s really hard to stay steady. I was just like Westy and I were talking about it; it’s hard to stay steady and hit the ball on the correct line. The guys are going to have a little bit of a challenge. That back nine is not playing easy. But the thing is, the wind is not consistent. It’s blowing, but it’s changing directions a little bit out there. So it’s tough.
Q: How would you characterize your patience right now with your game?
TIGER WOODS: Very. I feel very good with that.
Q: Is that one of the hardest things for you at this point is to not force it? That’s always been a hallmark of yours, to be patient; when you see yourself several shots behind, not going at pins or whatever it takes to stay patient?
TIGER WOODS: Well, on a golf course like this, I felt like I have to be patient. I can’t get out there and get ahead of myself and fire at every flag. This golf course doesn’t lend itself to that. Plus, you never know with tomorrow. The finishing holes here, with the wind is supposed to switch directions tomorrow, anything can happen around this place, and you just need to be around the lead and hopefully tomorrow, if I can get off to a good start tomorrow, get myself somewhere up there, you just never know. 15 and 17 are not playing easy today. You have to throw the ball out over that water, and a slight cut– not the easiest chip shot and tomorrow the wind is supposed to witch to the other direction.
Q: Is there particular one thing holding you back, you had the 34 putts the other day and today you say you’re putting better; is there any one thing?
TIGER WOODS: No, it’s not just one thing– it is what it is.
Q: Rory has a chance to get to No. 1– inaudible — when you were 22 — when you look at him, how does he compare?
TIGER WOODS: At the time I was making some changes in my game at 22. That was ’98. I think I only won, what, once that year, and then once in the beginning of ’99 somewhere. But then I got rolling at the end of ’99 from May on. So 23, 24, I had some pretty good years there.
Q: What do you think of Rory and his game?
TIGER WOODS: You watch him– I played with him in Abu Dhabi the first two days. He’s still learning. He’s developed a lot but also he’s got a lot to learn, too, which anyone that age, they are– even a guy like Ryo who has won professional golf tournaments since he was 16 or something like that, he’s been out here for a long time, but still, he’s still learning. They are still very young.
Q: Are you still learning?
TIGER WOODS: We’re all learning.
Q: What’s it like walking around out there and seeing your daughter outside the ropes saying “Hi Daddy?”
TIGER WOODS: That’s pretty neat.
