Tiger Woods has made it into the weekend at the US Masters 2022. On the third day of his comeback, he visibly had problems on the greens and conceded several three-putts and one four-putt, as he reflected in the subsequent interview. Woods’ conclusion after his botched moving day: “Never give up. Always chase your dreams.”
Tiger, how has the challenge changed physically the last three days?
Changed? It hasn’t changed. It’s been hard. Today was a challenge with the conditions. The conditions were tough today. They were tough yesterday starting out, but at least we got a little bit of a lull at the end.
Today it’s just been blustery all day. You add in the temperature difference, it was cold starting out. The ball wasn’t going very far.
I thought it was tough. Some of the other guys may not say that, but for me I had a tough time. I felt like I didn’t really hit it that bad, but I had four three-putts and a four-putt.
I mean, it’s just like I hit a thousand putts out there on the greens today. Obviously it’s affected the score. You take those away and I have normal two putts, I made even par for the day.
I did what I needed to do ball striking-wise, but I did absolutely the exact opposite on the greens.
Was putting an issue of reads, or were you not executing it?
I just could not get a feel for getting comfortable with the ball. Posture, feel, my right hand, my release, I just couldn’t find it.
Trying different things, trying to find it, trying to get something, taking practice strokes and just trying to feel the swing and the putter head, trying to get anything, and nothing seemed to work.
Even as many putts as I had, you’d think I’d have figured it out somewhere along the line, but it just didn’t happen.
Tiger, you know how to play (indiscernible). What’s the approach?
The way he’s been playing, it’s kind of what we were talking about on the practice rounds with — Joey was caddying for Fred in ’92, right? He had a little hot streak right before this. He won Bay Hill, lost in a playoff to Corey, ended the West Coast hot, played Florida hot, ended up here, and won the Masters.
Scottie’s doing the same thing. He took care of it from the West Coast through Florida. Coming in here he’s doing kind of the same thing. We all wish we had that two, three-month window when we get hot, and hopefully majors fall somewhere along in that window. We take care of it in those windows.
Scottie seems to be in that window right now.
Tiger, how much is the weather bothering your back today maybe even more than the other days?
It’s not as limber and as loose as it normally is, that’s for sure.
There are millions and millions of people watching what you’re doing. You may not think this way, so if you don’t, forgive me. But what do you hope you’re showing so many people who watch the Masters about never quitting and never giving up?
Exactly what you just said, never give up. Always chase after your dreams.
And I fight each and every day. Each and every day is a challenge. Each and every day presents its own different challenges for all of us. I wake up and start the fight all over again.