QUICKEN LOANS NATIONAL

June 26, 2014

Tiger Woods

Q. As much of a grind out there, it looked like you enjoyed the camraderie being back out there with the over guys. Can you speak to that?
TIGER WOODS: Well, been playing with Jason for a long time, and got to know him being on The Presidents Cup last year, so it was a great group. Unfortunately we didn't see a lot of each other on the front nine. We were all kind of looking to break 80. It was a bit of a fight today for all of us but we all hung in there.

Q. How encouraging the way you finished the last five or six holes?
TIGER WOODS: The score is not really indicative of how I played. I had four up-and-downs right there on 15 through 18. Had an easy pick on two, don't get that up-and-down. Had a wedge in my hand on 3 and I jerk it in the bunker. I made so many little mistakes. So I played a lot better than the score indicated, which is good.

Q. How about physically, how are you feeling? The back's fine?
TIGER WOODS: The back's great. I had no issues at all. No twinges, no nothing. It felt fantastic. That's one of the reasons why I let go on those tee shots. I hit it pretty hard out there.

Q. Driver felt good today?
TIGER WOODS: I drove it great. I felt comfortable. I fixed it yesterday, the grip change. I hit that foul ball on 18 yesterday and fixed it and piped it all the way through. Basically that's what I was trying to work on all day today, same thing. Make sure I got into proper position and make sure I just hit.

Q. What was the biggest challenge for you? Was there anything that bothered you today?
TIGER WOODS: I think the hard part was just getting into the rhythm of playing competitively. You play with your buddies all day for cash and stuff but it's just not the same. It's not the same as tournament golf, different level. Adrenaline is rushing and I hit the ball further out here than I do at home. Try to get the numbers, try to get the feels. Didn't start happening until mid bay through my front nine. It unfortunately took a while to get the feel for it. You saw the putt I hit on 11 was awful. I left it ten, 12 feet short. My feels were off.

Q. Would you say short game was what it was out there?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, definitely, because that's all I've been doing is chipping and putting. I hit some bad shots. Those are bad pitches and those are the ones I should get up-and-down every time.

Q. Do you feel the rust going away on your second nine?
TIGER WOODS: Just as I played, just the more I played, the more I felt comfortable about shot selections, my sight lines, all different things, and playing -- as I said, tournament golf, got the adrenaline going, hit the ball a little further, try to hit my numbers and then the wind crops up a little bit. Trying to get a feel for that and all the different things -- if you play all the time, it's second nature. But I've been off for a while, and I've been held back where I just haven't been able to let it go. Now I'm able to start doing that, try to get my numbers again. That's always been the challenge.

Q. The ball that you pulled left in the trap on your 12th hole, is that typical of the rusty shots?
TIGER WOODS: That was an awful shot. I was right in-between clubs. I was right in between sand wedge and pitching wedge. Sand wedge, I knew that it was borderline it would carry the ridge or not. So I just kind of held a pitching wedge in there, take something off it, and I pulled it. I quit rotating on it.

Q. Is there even a sense of relief just to be back here?
TIGER WOODS: It really is. It's nice to get back out here playing again. I unfortunately have been in my career on the sidelines enough, so it's always fun to come back out here and play against these guys, the best players in the world, and to get out here and see what I can do. This golf course is playing tough. It's not too often that 4-under is leading. That's indicative of how difficult it is out there.

Q. You have a new logo on your bag this week. Why is MusclePharm a great fit?
TIGER WOODS: It's a great fit for me. It's something that I believe in and something that I do, something that I put in my body and for recovery. As we all age and get a little bit older, it's about nutrition and that's how we are able to stay explosive and how we are able to recover, and you know, stay strong for a long period of time.

Q. Will you work on the short game after this or before tomorrow?
TIGER WOODS: Probably before tomorrow. I think tonight I'll just take it easy, once I get out of here, go home and treat and ice.

Q. Clubs on 7 and 8?
TIGER WOODS: 7 I hit 7-iron and 8 was a full sand wedge.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports