On comeback trail, Tiger Woods is leaner but ‘nervous’ also

“No, I can’t even get out of bed, how am I supposed to swing a club at 120 miles per hour?” It’s not nerve damage, ‘ he said. “You can do it different ways”. I’m sitting here in front of you guys with a different reality because things have improved so much that I’m able to come back here and do this again.

He has won the event five times, but two years ago, in his last appearance in the tournament, Woods finished tied for last.

Woods poured his energy into helping the United States team win the Ryder Cup, doing so as an energetic and efficient vice captain, said to be the chessmaster for the American dozen. He underwent two back surgeries last year, causing many to wonder if the 40-year-old would ever reach the form he once dominated the PGA Tour with. “We’ve played nine holes together”.

“And on top of that, I had to know the golf course, [and] I hadn’t play Silverado since college. Albany is an outstanding setting, and I can’t thank Hero MotoCorp enough for their support of the tournament and my foundation”. I wanted to compete.

The 14-time major victor had surgery on his back previous year, and said he found the injury much more hard to deal with than the knee problems which had plagued him previously. The present lot’s landing distance is more than what I used to drive to! I can’t even get out of bed.

This will be the first time he’s played competitively in over a year and he’s facing some of the best players in the world.

Reigning Olympic champion Justin Rose of England and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, the runner-up in Rio, will start at 11:40 in a repeat of their dramatic last-round Olympic pairing, with past victor Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar next followed by Woods and Reed.

“One of my biggest goals is to try to get into the top 1,000 of the World Ranking”, Woods said with a laugh.

“I know Bubba (Watson) shot 25-under previous year”, added Woods of a robust standard that should be set in a stellar 18-man field for this 72-hole, no-cut shoot-out.

Facing the media at the Australian PGA Championship on the Gold Coast Poulter said he, like most people around the world, would be checking the leaderboard Friday morning Australian time to see how Woods performs in the Bahamas after more than a year away from the game.

“I’m just trying to find myself again on the greens where I’m comfortable from 15, 20, 25 feet and seeing the ball go in the hole”, he said. I also had time to get my business commitments under one roof and do some quality work towards the new TGR brand. I can hit all the shots now, on call. I know that’s a tall order since I’ve been away from the game for so long.

“Yes I’m nervous about what’s going to happen but it’s good to be that way”.

“Whether physically and also equipment, practice schedules, training, all that has evolved, the mindset of competing hasn’t”. Then there is that part of me that is the competitor who wants to beat these guys. Sometimes I am at home, tinkering around with my buddies, just saying I don’t care what’s going on but I care.