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BUICK INVITATIONAL

January 29, 2006

Tiger Woods

LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA

JOHN BUSH: We welcome the first four time winner of the Buick Invitational, Tiger Woods. Your ninth career playoff victory today, a tough one. There were a lot of people up there at the top of the leaderboard throughout the day.

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, it was. It was bunched, and quite frankly I shouldn't have probably even been in the playoff. I figured the guys would probably get to at least 12 or 13, and I wasn't putting very good at all.

And then the greens weren't exactly smooth. But at least I could have had better speed than I did. My speed was terrible today.

I hung in there, hung in there, and then I saw that Ollie posted 10 and Nathan bogeyed 17, so it was looking like 10 was going to get in playoff. So huge up and down on 17, then two good shots at 18, again, not a good putt on the first one, bad speed, but I was able to make that and get into the playoff.

Ollie hit just an unbelievable bunker shot there on 16. Wow, that was pretty impressive. Like I said, the greens weren't exactly very smooth. So understandable it was a tough putt.

JOHN BUSH: At any point during the round today since you were struggling so much did you feel like you were out of the tournament?

TIGER WOODS: No, because the guys weren't running away. You know, as I said, I figured I had to get to 12 or 13 but that never happened. Obviously the conditions were a little difficult today. But still, I figured somebody would do it. But it never materialized. I was just trying to hang in there, and I got it back to 10 after my birdie at 13, then all of a sudden I three putt 14.

Again, another mistake. But I was very fortunate just to get into a playoff.

JOHN BUSH: Talk about your success here at this tournament, nine appearances, nine Top 10s; out of those, six Top 5s, three top 3s. You tend to really excel here.

TIGER WOODS: It's a nice place. As I say, I've played here since I was 12 and really enjoy playing here. I won the Junior World here when I was 15, came close when I was 16.

But it's been a great place. I'll tell you what, as I said, there's not too many golf courses you play where it just fits your eye, but this is one of the golf courses for me. You just kind of I feel very comfortable here.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: The same. J.D. is a friend of mine and Ollie has been a friend of since I was an amateur. I feel bad. I want to win it with a birdie. I had a chance to make birdie on 18 on the first playoff hole to win it right there, just hit a bad putt. You don't ever want to see anyone miss a short one like that.

Q. (Inaudible). But a win is a win.

TIGER WOODS: You don't ever take pleasure out of seeing your friends do that. If anything, I would have felt fired up if I made the putt in the playoff for birdie on 18 and ended it right there, but not when a friend of mine misses a short one.

Q. Obviously you weren't great with the putter today. How did you will that putt to go in on 18? How do you not think about the rest of the day and the way you putted?

TIGER WOODS: It was one of those things where I've had that putt before, and I know that putt doesn't break as much as it looks. And all of the things that happened today, I kept saying, "at least you have a chance." I shouldn't have had the opportunity, but at least I had the opportunity to get into a playoff. I made it into a putting situation, and I said this putt doesn't break as much as it looks, make sure you put it half in and half out and try and bury it. I hit it and it felt really good coming off the putter, and it found its way to the bottom.

Q. We know how important putting is out here. What does it say you were able to win in a week that you weren't able to make a putt and yet were able to come out on top? What do you think that says about your game?

TIGER WOODS: Well, this golf course, it's hard to go low here, it really is. It's hard to get the ball close to some of these pins. You know, my ball striking this week, you've either got to hit it really close or else way away from the hole, one of the two. There was no gray area for me this week. I either had it or didn't have it at all.

Most of my birdies were up close except for the bomb I made on 3 on Friday. But other than that, all my birdies were pretty close.

Q. Have you ever won a tournament playing so bad?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I have. There have been a few occasions where I've just made absolutely everything. That happens. This week it was one of those weeks where either I hit it great or I didn't hit it at all and then I made everything for a little stretch or I made nothing. As I said, no gray area this week for some reason.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: Yes, he's good (laughter). He's really good. It's pretty apparent. He's won two major championships and he's been close in others. I mean, the guy knows how to grind and how to fight, and his short game is one of the best in the world. He can play any golf course.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: 12 was just a big bonus because you're trying just to make par. I hit a great drive down there and I hit a 4 iron and I was just trying to hit a low draw 4 iron and put the ball 15, 20 feet from the hole to the right, and I pulled it a little bit. That's why I was just kind of begging for it to go because it was a little too low, and it carried and somehow held. I thought for sure it would have been gone, as low as I hit that. But it held for some reason, so you want to try to take advantage of a bonus there. I was able to make that putt.

As far as the greens today, they were a little bumpy today. I had bad speed to begin with, but I was trying just to lag the ball up there close. After seeing the first two greens, you just can't leave yourself any putt over three feet here. You've got to hit the ball stony so you have tap ins. All of a sudden I get to 4 and run it ten feet by.

Then I get to 5 and I had a tap in and I pulled it and it lipped out. You know, it's just one of those things where the greens were just wiggly enough where little short putts became really difficult. I watched the guys in front of me, and they were missing putts, as well. I wasn't the only one missing them.

I just kept telling myself, have better speed. And it somehow just didn't happen today.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: Well, I think for me, I thought it was a huge bonus for me just to be in there, as I said earlier. 12 or 13 I thought was the number to get to, and it never materialized. For me to even have a chance to be in the playoff to win the title, very lucky. I felt great just to be in it and just try and capitalize on a good break.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: Oh, it's fun. It is fun. You either win or lose right here and now. It's match play, but you only get one chance. You can't make up any ground. It's either you get it done or you don't.

Over my career I've done a pretty good job of it.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: I won the tournament, so as I said, some of the positives this week, I was able to hit the ball really good in spurts, I putted well in spurts, but I just need to make it a little bit more consistent than I did this week. I'm looking forward to next week, and hopefully I can put all the pieces together.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: Oh, without a doubt. I don't have as many pieces I need to work on. The laundry list is a lot shorter.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: Well, there's no board on 12 and 13 tee, so the nearest board is 13 green. When I got up to 13 green, I saw that 10 was leading at the time. Actually, no, 11 was leading.

I think the USGA would be very pleased at having a playoff round like this, but I don't think they'd be very happy if the playoff score was 10 under (laughter).

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: It only matters to win. Phil and I have had a lot of success here. We've battled together here many times, and we both love this golf course. I know I love it, and he said the same. It's awfully fun. Today we were battling out there. We were one of many, but still, we had a bunch of fun out there and trying to somehow win the tournament.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: No. I felt pretty good in spurts, except the first day. The first day I tried the new shaft in that driver because I was hitting it for miles, but it didn't work in competition. So I took it out and went back to the shaft that I've been playing with ever since I switched to graphite and had a lot better success. So nice move.

Q. What were you thinking about your shot on 17, making that putt?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I was just trying to hit some 5 wood out there and aim it left edge of the right bunker down there, wind was coming off the left and making sure I didn't get ahead like I did the first time. Stay tall, stay behind it, and then he missed the putt.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: Yes, it was. A 2 iron would have been harder. It was a slightly downhill lie, and it would have been coming in like a bullet. My little senior 5 wood was good.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: It's exciting. I had the same thing happen last year, and I kept telling myself I did it last year, where I didn't really drive it good starting out, and I got on the back nine and I piped it every hole. I kept telling myself, it's just like last year, you were in the same situation. Just try and put the ball in play and trust your swing. Put the club in the right position on the way back, and I can go at it whatever speed I want on the way down and hit whatever shot I want. I was trying to tell myself put the club in the correct position and from there do whatever you want.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: It's always more meaningful to do it whenever you have to. I had no other choice, I had to hit the ball in play to give myself chances because I was behind.

Today on the back nine hitting the shots like I did off the tees, it felt just as good as hitting those last two shots at Augusta when I absolutely had to. I had no other choice but to hit good shots, and I was able to pull it off.

Q. Looking ahead (inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: It'll be interesting to see how he's doing. I can't wait to talk to him. I know we're playing a shootout on Tuesday afternoon. I haven't seen Easy in a long time, so it'll be good.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: Not really, no (laughter). No, he plays around the world. I know Ernie plays everywhere. I can understand it. He's got to fulfill his obligation to both Tours. Vijay has played a bunch already early in the year. He's played twice over there in the Persian Gulf, and Phil is just starting just like I am.

I'm sure once we all get together, whether it's going to be the Match Play or Doral or whatever it is, once we start making a run towards Augusta, we'll all get together and we'll see what happens.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: It's amazing when you take any kind of layoff the first day how good you hit it. The second day I'm like an 18 handicapper. I felt like I actually needed that break. My body was a little beat up towards the end of the year. I had some little knickknack things I needed to heal up, and I was just tired from playing so much at the end of the year, and the traveling and being in contention every week that I played, it definitely wore on me.

It was nice to put the clubs away and just chill.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: It's actually nice that he's the only one (laughter).

JOHN BUSH: Let's just go through the holes if you would.

TIGER WOODS: 4 I hit the fairway, but I hit just a terrible drive to the right on 5 fairway and hit a 4 iron out there to 40 feet, ran the first putt by about ten feet and missed it coming back.

Next hole hit a driver, good drive and a 9 iron just below the hole about 18 feet. I ran it by maybe two feet and missed that.

7, I hit a good drive down there, hit a little 9 iron to about four feet, made that.

11, I hit a 4 iron in the left bunker, blasted it over the green, then chipped up to about two feet and made that for bogey.

12, I hit a driver and a 4 iron to about 12 feet behind the hole, made that.

13, I hit a driver and a 5 iron and two putted from about 40 feet.

14, I hit a 3 wood off the tee, a 9 iron to the right of the hole about 30 feet, ran it by about four feet, missed it.

Then 18, a driver and a 5 wood, and had, I don't know, 50, 60 feet. Ran it down there about ten feet, missed it and then made it.

I pulled a driver left on the first playoff hole, hit an 8 iron and then a 60 degree sand wedge to about eight feet and missed it.

My second playoff hole I hit a 3 iron about 20 feet left of the hole and two putted.

Q. (Inaudible).

TIGER WOODS: I've been out here long enough where I've gotten both spectrums. They're always high. They're always high. I mean, they've seen what I can do, and they think I can hit some shots. It's awfully nice that they think I can do that.

JOHN BUSH: Congratulations, Tiger. I guess you made someone else happy out there with that new car this week, too.

End of FastScripts.

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