Before the start of the 2024 PGA Championship Tiger Woods talks about his expectations and recent experiences at the Masters in April. The “GOAT” also states, that the Ryder Cup captaincy is still under discussion.
PGA Championship 2024: Tiger Woods “I wish my game was a little bit sharper”
THE MODERATOR: You were part of the one of the most memorable finishes in this championship’s history back in 2000. When you look back at that PGA, what do you remember most?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I just remember the pressure that I felt, the chance, an opportunity to do something that Ben Hogan did in 1953. The summer was a whirlwind. I was playing well, then coming into this event, being able to play in Jack’s — play with Jack in his last PGA Championship, and also just the timeline. Jack played with Gene Sarazen in his last PGA, and I was playing with Jack in his last PGA, so just the connection with all that.
Obviously making a putt on 18 and getting into the playoff and making a nice putt on the 16th hole, running after it. A lot of great memories from that week. To be able to go head-to-head with Bob May, who was arguably probably one of the best junior golfers that Southern Cal ever produced. It was a fun week and a fun — unbelievable moment, really.
Q. Expanding on that a little bit. When you look at this great collection of victories and majors you’ve won, where does that Sunday with Bob May fit in?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I think that the duel between us both, I think if I remember this correctly, Bob shot three straight 66s, and our back nine, we both shot 31 on the back nine. With leading a championship and both of us playing as well as we did, with all of that pressure and we kept feeding off of one another. He would make a putt, I would make a putt, I would make a putt, he would make a putt. It was a fun back nine.
That was the first year they went to the three-hole playoff, and when we got in at the scoring table, I remember that we were informed it was a three-hole playoff and Bob was completely shocked by that because I don’t think that it really got out that much that potentially it could be the way it plays out, and going back to 16, as I said, I made a nice putt there, ran after it. He made an unbelievable chip from the right rough and almost holed it. Again, we never really missed shots on that back nine and then in the three-hole playoff. For us to shoot those low of scores, it was special.
Q. Since the last time that you were here in 2014 do you feel like the course has changed a great deal or is it pretty much the same place?
TIGER WOODS: It’s gotten bigger. Gotten a little bit longer. I think they extended six tees since we played in 2014. Opened up some of the areas so there’s more flow, less trees. Definitely different than when we played in 2000. But it’s still the same framework that we played in 2000. So, the same corridors, but it’s just gotten a little bit bigger, a little bit longer, just like all golf courses or all championships that we go to now. I’m looking forward to one day they say we shortened this hole up, because it seems like every time we come back and play it’s always getting longer.
Q. State of your game, state of your body and state of your ability to play what’s a pretty hilly golf course?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, my body’s okay. It is what it is. I wish my game was a little bit sharper. Again, I don’t have a lot of competitive reps, so I am having to rely on my practice sessions and getting stuff done either at home or here on-site.
But at the end of the day, I need to be ready mentally and physically come Thursday, and these days of practicing, eating on the golf course, that’s one of the reasons I came up here on Sunday was to knock off some of the work that I have to do in charting greens, get all that stuff done early, so I can focus on literally playing and plotting my way around.
Q. We just had Max in here earlier this morning and he was talking about the two rounds he played with you at Augusta and was raving about what you still do on the golf course and the shots you’re still able to hit. Curious, how much of a tease is it for you when you know you still have it in there even at this age and how do you kind of deal with that as you go?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I can still hit shots. It’s getting around is more of the difficulty that I face day-to-day and the recovery of pushing myself either in practice or in competition days. You saw it at Augusta. I was there after two days and didn’t do very well on the weekend.
Q. As a dad who is a golf professional, what advice would you have for Scottie Scheffler?
TIGER WOODS: Get some sleep. (Smiling.) I mean, he’s got obviously he and Meredith, fantastic, having their first, and those are — as we all of us who have had children, those are some tough years and ahead of them.
As I said, try and get some rest as much as you possibly can. He’s the No. 1 player in the world, and having a great, stable family life at home is important to having a great life out here on TOUR.
Q. The crowds you still see for practice rounds or even just the people who come out to watch you now at 48, do you feel differently when you see that now as opposed to even maybe 10 years ago or five years ago?
TIGER WOODS: I think that I appreciate it more now, just the fact that I don’t come out here very often. I don’t play much, and I’m at home where it’s quiet and it’s so different to coming out to practice rounds when there’s thousands of people out there like it was at Augusta.
A bunch of people came out today. Unfortunately the weather didn’t really cooperate. I’m sure there will be a lot more tomorrow now that it’s cleared out. But appreciating the warmth and the support of the fans is something that I probably 10 years ago certainly didn’t appreciate that then as much as I do now.
Q. Rory said last week in Charlotte that you and him see the future of golf a little bit differently. What’s your position, what do you see as the future?
TIGER WOODS: Well I think that we see the — it’s good to see it differently, but collectively as a whole we want to see whatever’s best for all the players, the fans, and the state of golf. How we get there, that’s to be determined, but the fact that we’re in this together and in this fight together to make golf better is what it’s all about.
Q. Justin mentioned earlier when he was in here that one of his core memories here is watching you when he was a kid win in 2000 here. What’s your sense for what as close as you are to him what this means for him to have this championship in his hometown?
TIGER WOODS: Well I think that, I don’t know if JT was in diapers still or not, but I think that having a major come to your hometown where you grew up and it’s special for him, it’s special for Mike and Jenny and everyone who’s been involved in his life.
This is his hometown. The fact that he’s able to play a major championship where he grew up is special. Unfortunately I can’t say that I ever have, just because I missed the U.S. Open at LA Country Club. It would have been nice to play in my hometown. But to have JT come here and — he’s going to get some appreciation from the fans and the ovations are going to be loud for him, as they should be.
Q. You said at the Masters that you were going to talk to Seth after that week about maybe captaining next year’s Ryder Cup team. Did that meeting take place, and if so, is there any update?
TIGER WOODS: We’re still talking. There’s nothing that has been confirmed yet. We’re still working on what that might look like. Also whether or not I have the time to do it. I’m dedicating my so much time to what we’re doing with the PGA TOUR, I don’t want to not fulfill the role of the captaincy if I can’t do it. What that all entails and representing Team USA and the commitments to the PGA of America, the players, and the fans and as I said, all of Team USA. I need to feel that I can give the amount of time that it deserves.
Q. Earlier you mentioned the state of golf and fans. Wondering from your advantage point where you think that relationship stands now and why?
TIGER WOODS: I think the fans are probably as tired as we are of the talk of not being about the game of golf and about not being about the players. It’s about what LIV is doing, what we’re doing, players coming back, players leaving, the fans just want to see us play together. How do we get there is to be determined.
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