The questions often reveal more than the answers.
During Tiger Woods’ pre-tournament press conference at the rain-soaked PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, he fielded 25 questions. The most intriguing wasn’t about his game but his physical condition.
Commenting on Valhalla’s 7,609-yard course, Woods remarked, “I wouldn’t say the walk’s that difficult. It’s a long walk on a large property. The key is to avoid the rough. This is a big course, and getting into the rough can be painful. But if I drive well and replicate my performance from 24 years ago, it should be fine.”
At 48, Woods, who won the 2000 PGA at Valhalla, is now a rare participant on the PGA Tour due to multiple surgeries. Preparing for a tournament involves extensive stretching, massage, chiropractic care, and using products like Icy Hot.
Neal Shipley, an amateur who played with Woods in the final round of the Masters Tournament, noted, “He woke up at 3:45 AM just to get ready for the day. I got three more hours of sleep than he did. He’s really putting in the effort to be here for everyone.”
In his last outing at the Masters, Woods finished 60th after shooting 73-72-82-77, the lowest among those who made the cut. During the Tuesday press conference, he acknowledged his health was “OK” but wished his game was sharper. He admitted his body struggled over the weekend at Augusta National but showed he could still compete in the first two rounds.
“I can still hit shots,” Woods said. “The challenge is moving around and recovering from pushing myself in practice or during competition. At Augusta, I was competitive for two days but struggled on the weekend.”
Max Homa, who played with Woods for the first two days at the Masters, agreed, praising Woods’ game. “His golf game was incredible. If he had made more putts, he would have been near the lead. Despite playing 20-something holes the second day, he wasn’t limping too badly. I think he still has some competitive years left.”
Woods acknowledges he’s in a different stage of life compared to 2000 when he defeated Bob May at Valhalla. Now, with 82 PGA Tour wins, including 15 majors, he’s a golf dad, a course designer, and a PGA Policy Board member. Playing in majors holds a different significance for him now.
“I appreciate it more now since I don’t play as often,” he said. “I’m usually at home, so coming to practice rounds with thousands of spectators, like at Augusta, is a stark contrast.”
In 2000, Woods was in the midst of the Tiger Slam, holding all four major championship titles at once, making him the center of the golf world. Today, the dynamic has shifted. On Tuesday, he spoke extensively about the excellence of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and No. 2 Rory McIlroy, praising McIlroy’s swing and advising the new dad Scheffler to “get some sleep.”
Reflecting on his own journey, Woods, now a father of grown children, said, “I still feel I can win tournaments. I can hit the shots and handle the greens. I just need to maintain it for all four days, not just two like at Augusta.”
