Tiger Woods Feels Better Physically – Golf Planet
June 12, 2024
Tiger Woods faced the media on Tuesday at Pinehurst, suggesting that his physical condition is much better than it was two months ago at Augusta and sharper than at the PGA Championship in mid-May at the Valhalla Golf Club. The question now is whether Tiger still has what it takes to challenge Course No. 2 and its icy greens…
Absent in 2014 due to a back injury, Tiger Woods was present in 1999 and 2005, during the first two US Opens held at Pinehurst. He did quite well, finishing 3rd and then 2nd. But at 48 years old, the former world number one, winner of three US Opens (2000, 02, 08), has lost some of his luster since his terrible car accident in February 2021 in Los Angeles. Coming in 60th at the last Masters, he failed to make the cut a month ago at the 106th PGA Championship in history in Louisville, Kentucky.
In what condition will the American approach this 124th US Open, making his return to this 3rd Major of the season for the first time since Winged Foot in September 2020 (missed cut)? Especially since Pinehurst No. 2 (North Carolina) does not seem particularly ready to be easily tamed…
“This golf course will test all aspects of your game, especially the mental aspect. Being very disciplined mentally will be one of the important keys this week.” – Tiger Woods
“This golf course will test all aspects of your game, especially the mental aspect,” he points out. “Being very disciplined mentally will be one of the important keys this week. We’ve worked a lot on that so that I’m ready from the first round. Anyway, I feel like I have the strength to do it.”
The weather forecast does not predict any rain this week but expects high temperatures throughout the four rounds. Temperatures are expected to range between 30 and 34 degrees during the day. This should make attacking the greens even more difficult than usual in such an event.
“We’ve worked a lot on fitness,” adds Tiger Woods. “I also did some work on chipping and putting. But the short game should be crucial this week, with a variety of shots to master using either wedges, long irons, woods around the greens, or even a putter. There are so many different plans to consider. That’s one of the reasons why I came here last Tuesday, to try to get a good grasp of it. But since then, the golf course has become even tougher and faster. Even when we had rain the other night, it was still just as fast…”
Don’t miss any golf news!
Sign up yourself or your friends for free to the Golf Weekly, Golf Planet’s newsletter, and receive all the latest golf news every Monday morning.