Tiger’s Open Championship press conference: Thursday
TIGER WOODS: I’ve got to just fight, fight through it. I mean, I still had 17 holes to go, and just try and grind it out. I know that today is a very benign day. Guys are going to go low. Guys have been shooting good numbers. Unfortunately I did not do that. Hopefully the conditions will be tough tomorrow and I can put together a good round and we’ll move up the board progressively.
Q: Do you think that would be your best chance?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I’m so far back and the leaderboard is so bunched that in order for me to get in there by Sunday, I’m going to have to have the conditions tough and then obviously put together some really solid rounds, something like what J.D. did back in ’95. If you shoot some good, solid rounds in tough conditions like that, players can move up the board, and hopefully I’m one of them.
Q: Is it hard to stay motivated when you get off to a tough start and you’re struggling a little bit or are you more motivated?
TIGER WOODS: No, motivation is never a problem with me. That’s never a problem.
Q: You don’t feel discouraged?
TIGER WOODS: Discouraging, yeah. I was a little — angered a little bit. But hey, I figured I’ve got 17 holes to fight through it, and hopefully I can make some birdies out there, which I didn’t do, but I hit it really good coming home, so that was — and I made some good clutch putts. I just needed to put those balls in position for birdies instead of for pars.
Q: Did you have any issues warming up, anything that told you it might be a tough day?
TIGER WOODS: No, I had a great warm-up. I was shaping it well warming up. The only thing that I was actually more concerned about was my left to right balls weren’t as sharp as they had been, but ironically enough I got on the golf course, those were good. That’s just the way it works out times.
Q: Does that make it more discouraging or frustrating?
TIGER WOODS: Well, it is what it is. My best warm-up I’ve ever had in my career was in Germany. I hit the 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300-yard signs, and I started off bogey-double bogey. That’s the way it goes.
