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DELL TECHNOLOGIES CHAMPIONSHIP

September 2, 2018

Tiger Woods

Boston, Massachusetts

Q. (No microphone.)
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, just kind of the way it goes. I didn't get a lot out of my round today.

Q. (No microphone.)
TIGER WOODS: I've got to make a bunch of birdies, get off to a quick start and just get rolling early kind of do what Bryson did today, get off to a quick start, birdied the first two. That's basically what I need to do tomorrow.

Q. Speaking of Bryson, he was very chatty during the round. I'm wondering is there ever a point where you just don't want to hear conversation?
TIGER WOODS: No, he's fantastic to play with. He's great. This is the first time I've ever played with him in a tournament round. We played in practice rounds quite a bit this year and he's fantastic.

Q. Does it somehow cut through any kind of, not tension, but nerves, or does it make the whole time pass or what is the value other than --
TIGER WOODS: Two friends going out there competing and playing. And we both have jobs to do today and try to shoot as low rounds as we possibly could do today. And he did that, he shot 8-under today. And it was great playing.

Q. You talked about how your perspective has changed with your injuries. Would the player of your earlier years, been as willing to engage or acknowledge a friendship like that while you're playing?
TIGER WOODS: It definitely has, whether I'm playing with Mo or Calc or Payne back in the day or Davis or Freddie, we were always chatty. When you're playing with friends, yeah, you're competing, but you're still playing with friends.

Q. I feel like maybe we didn't know or see who your friends were earlier if your career, is that something on my part?
TIGER WOODS: I think most of the media didn't really walk as many holes as they do now or tweeted out. If you get an interview after a round, that was basically it.

Q. Bryson said he thought you guys could intimidate people, assuming you make the team, what are your thoughts if?
TIGER WOODS: If he goes around and shoots 8-under par every time, that will work.

Q. But you could have lucked out East Lake today, does that add to any frustration, not making that?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I have to play well in order to make it to East Lake. I think before I teed off I looked at the board I'd already fallen six spots, and hadn't teed off yet. The points are very volatile. You have a quick six or seven, if not nine holes of a good run, you can vault anywhere between 10 and 20 spots, it's not that hard to do. It's just very volatile. You get on one of those runs and move up the board.

Q. Physically do you feel worn out? It's going to be another hot day tomorrow?
TIGER WOODS: No, this is not hot. What we dealt with at the PGA, that was hot. As long as the wind blows like this, this is a nice temperature.

Q. Do you feel physically okay?
TIGER WOODS: I feel good.

Q. Did the putter let you down today or were you not reading them well? Seemed like you gave yourself a lot of chances?
A. I did give myself quite a few looks today. And I pulled two putts that I can recall off the top of my head right now. That's about it. My speed was a little bit off. I was trying to be a little more aggressive today on the greens and trying to make sure that I gave it a good hit. I didn't want to leave anything dying on the low side, which was the three-putt over there. But overall it was good today.

Q. You've got to be happy with the way you're hitting the ball, the chances you're giving yourself, especially these last two days?
TIGER WOODS: I think in general here in the last probably month and a half I've really turned the corner. I've really hit some good shots and I've really played well from tee to green. And it's just a matter of just getting one little hot stretch with the putter and get it rolling and get the momentum on my side and just get things rolling.

Q. Are you going out to the range or putting green?
TIGER WOODS: I'm going to do a little work today.

Q. Is there a target number for tomorrow?
TIGER WOODS: Just got to go something low. I don't know if it will be good enough to win, with the guys right now at 13. They have the back nine, I'm sure somebody will get to 15 or somewhere in there, that would put me 8 back. Even if I shoot a low round, I'm not really in control of my destiny in that regard, because I'm pretty far back.

Q. There's a bigger group young Americans that have a bright future. Do you think he's earned his place with all those guys?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, he's won three times so far and I think the status three times under the age of 25, which is pretty impressive. And just the way he's played, especially the last couple of weeks going -- he's had opportunities and had runs, but I think he's cleaning up the rounds. He's not making that many mistakes, and if he does, from what I've seen of him, I talked to him over the past couple of months, he's missing the ball in the correct spots, and that makes all the difference.

Q. You play the same ball as Bryson?
TIGER WOODS: Same type, same company, but different balls. He plays a harder ball than I do. There are two balls that Bridgestone makes. He played the X and I play the XS. So, yeah, he plays with a firmer version of what I play.

Q. It seems that that would be an easy pairing for you. But so would a lot of the young guys that are on the team. Why was it so hard for you to matchup with partners back in the day? You had a lot of them, seemed like it was always a struggle to get you with the right guy?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, it was just a matter of pair up -- when it was the old alternate shot we paired up more with golf ball because it was the one ball rule back in the day. And so you couldn't switch out golf balls.

Now when you're pairing guys -- a little bit more on personality than your golf ball. So that's changed the alternate shot.

And then the fourball, whoever was making birdies that particular week, whoever got it rolling. If you've got a hot putter and you want guys that are playing well and make a bunch of birdies, that's kind of basically who I tried to be paired up with.

Q. How does your personality pair these days with anybody? How would you describe it?
TIGER WOODS: I know a lot of the guys. And the pairings aren't what it used to be of having to figure out golf balls is not what it used to be. It's so much easier now because we're able to hit whatever we want off the tees. And that makes a world of difference.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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