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THE GREENBRIER CLASSIC

July 1, 2015

Tiger Woods

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA

Q. Welcome back to West Virginia. Just get some comments.
TIGER WOODS: Thank you. Yeah, course is in great shape right now. A little bit on the soft side with all the rain, but, boy, really healthy shape. The wind started picking up towards the end though, but it was a great day.

Q. How do you feel coming back?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, first time since last time I missed a cut here. Look for a little better playing. The golf course, as I say, is in great shape. It's a little bit faster than last time we played. I expect the scores to be very, very low.

Q. Aside from the greens, any other noticeable differences?
TIGER WOODS: No, it's exactly same. It's playing about the same. Only thing different is the greens are a little bit quicker.

Q. Will anything be different about your approach this week?
TIGER WOODS: Well, we're going to have to go low. Right now as soft as it is and with the forecast the way it's going to be with rain coming in, we're just going to have make a bunch of birdies. Just keep the kind of pedal down and be aggressive. Just the way it's going to work out this week.

Q. It's been a few weeks since you played.
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, made little bit of progress since last time I played. Obviously not really saying much, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Really looking forward to competing again and getting out here and playing.

Q. At the US Open you talked about short-term goals and long-term goals. With the struggle in your recent form how committed are you?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I've done this before. I've gone through stretches like this. If you look at what I did through the end of '97, all of '98, it wasn't very good. I had some Top 10s in there, but I wasn't really contending to win tournaments. I was trying to make cuts. But '99 turned out okay and so did 2000.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
TIGER WOODS: No, not at all. Fixed my short game, so that's all solid now.

Q. How much time did you take off after the US Open and what did you do?
TIGER WOODS: I didn't touch a club for a while. Took my kids down to Albany and we were down diving in the water every day all day pretty much. Had a nice family vacation down there. It was nice to have a summer break with them like that, especially after the way I played. It was nice to get away from golf for a while and just be with my kids.

Q. What did you do to relax? (Recording interruption.)
TIGER WOODS: Snorkeling a bit. Spot fish, taught them what fish to look for what their movement patters are and where would it be, and they would spot it and I would drop down and go shoot. So it was fun to apply follow the leader.

Q. Are you playing pain-free now?
TIGER WOODS: Yes, I am.

Q. That's really good news.
TIGER WOODS: Yes, it is. Really good news.

Q. Have you found putting the clubs away has helped?
TIGER WOODS: Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. If I have got a certain pattern that I feel is good, then it's good to take a break off. But if I don't have a pattern that's good or I'm not close to turning the hump, then I can't afford to take a break. I've got to continue practicing and make sure that's solid. A lot of times I've taken breaks, yeah, I've been able to take long breaks because I've had my game dialled in or been close to turning it around so I can afford to do it. In beginning of this year, after Torrey and Phoenix, I was not in a position where I could take time off. I had to practice ever take and change the pattern. Then once I turn the corner, then, yeah, I could take a few days off here and there and pattern will be fine.

Q. (No microphone.)
TIGER WOODS: I would love to break his record. I mean, that's one of the hallowed records in our sport. To be in a position to be able to do that is something I'm proud of so far. Hopefully I can get that done in the near future.

Q. You've been analyzed, overanalyzed, psychoanalyzed. How did you handle that?
TIGER WOODS: One, you don't reed it. I have to live it. I'm know what I am doing out here on the golf course. I know what it feels like. I know where my game is and what progressive I have or haven't made. That's what I'm concerned about. And Chris and I and one my buddies, Rob, is always around. We know what's going on and what the baseline has been shifted and where things are currently and where we need to get to in the future.

Q. How did it go today?
TIGER WOODS: I drove it great today. Made some nice progress since the Open. I know it's hard to believe that I wasn't that far at the Open, but I really wasn't. Few little nicknack injuries going on that week sort of playing through. On top of that, playing a golf course that's as interesting as that place was, if you missed a shot you could look like an absolute idiot there, and then hit an awful shot and look like a hero. It's just one of those weird golf courses. You had to play it well and play it smart. You had to be aggressive and pick your spots. I wasn't in a position where I was hitting good enough to be able to do that.

Q. What were those nicknack injuries?
TIGER WOODS: The blister I had on my finger is still there. That hadn't healed and still hasn't really yet.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
TIGER WOODS: I think it's great for him to play, get the playing feels, keep the playing feels going. Whether you're playing here or overseas, doesn't really matter. Long as you have your feels. Feels travel. That's the thing. Doesn't really need to play links golf. I think he's played enough links-type golf courses. He did all right at Chamber's. He's played the British Opens before. St. Andrews will be a little bit different. There will be a lot to learn in a short time. But he's young and he can spend the energy playing 18 holes every day and be fine.

Q. (No microphone.)
TIGER WOODS: No, I'm not going over early, no.

Q. Can you win here?
TIGER WOODS: Absolutely, uh-huh.

Q. (No microphone.)
TIGER WOODS: With Jim, he has so many amenities here that it's a lot of fun. I've had -- well the two days I did play here I had a good time. But also some of the stuff we can do a way from the golf course is fun.

Q. You said you were healthy now. How long since you've played a competitive round without injury?
TIGER WOODS: Without back pain it's been a long time. Yeah, obviously you're going to have nicknack things here and there. Just the way it is. Main thing is my back is feeling good.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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