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THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDE

June 2, 2019

Tiger Woods

Dublin, Ohio

Q. I know it wasn't the finish you were looking for. As you're going through the front nine, you're thinking we might have something magical in the works on Sunday?
TIGER WOODS: The goal today was to get to double digits and get something positive, outside of yesterday, get something positive going into The Open. And I got to double digits, I just didn't stay there.

But overall it was a great day. I hit the ball really well and made some nice putts.

Q. Certainly the goal to win the tournament, but what are the aspects of your game you saw improvement on and heading into the direction you were looking for?
TIGER WOODS: Each day I got a little more crisp. I got a few mistakes and didn't keep the card as clean as I'd like. A couple of loose iron shots here and there, but overall I drove it great this week. I just need to clean up the rounds and make sure I don't drop two shots, and made a couple of doubles this week, and those hurt.

Q. Talk about today?
TIGER WOODS: It could have been a little better, for sure. You know, going into today I was never going to win the tournament, but I was hoping I could get something positive going into The Open, and I was able to accomplish that, which is great, and get some nice positive momentum going into a nice practice week.

Q. What is the balance now between preparation and sort of maintenance for your body and everything? How do you feel going into this week before the U.S. Open?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I feel a lot better. That's going to be the trick going forward. I'll never be able to play as much as I used to. And just trying to balance that and being prepared and sharp. Those are -- and with the condensed season for the first time. This is our first go-around at our new condensed season.

So trying to figure out the playing schedule, trying to get a good balance of that and being prepared and also taking care of the body, it's new. This year is new to all of us, and we're all trying to figure it out.

Q. What's going to be the biggest key to minimizing mistakes that you've had this week as we move to Pebble?
TIGER WOODS: As I said, I drove it great this week. I hit the tee shots I wanted to. I hit a couple of loose iron shots. And fairway bunker game wasn't very good, caught a couple of lips coming out of there. But I hit it -- 14 is a perfect example, two wedges the last couple of days, and walked away with two bogeys. Those are loose things that you can't afford to have happen in an Open. If I can clean those up, I should be all right.

Q. What happened on 14 there? Was that a gust of wind?
TIGER WOODS: No, I was right in between clubs. I was between pitching wedge and sand wedge and I tried to just hit a soft little clippy cut with the wedge, and I hit it way too flat. It was hot, and I was trying to hit a soft one in there.

Q. What's it feel like being in this condensed schedule, the first go-around, not trying to figure out what tournaments to play, but I think it was Justin Rose who said (inaudible) the Masters you usually had two months off (inaudible) and we just got done with one, and you're going next week?
TIGER WOODS: It's new. I mean, it's new for all of us. We're trying to figure it out. THE PLAYERS went back to its old spot. That was something I was familiar with because I've played with THE PLAYERS a couple of weeks before up the Masters. But the PGA moving to May was very different. And now it's basically our normal schedule going forward. This is something that we're accustomed to with the next couple of majors.

Q. Brooks has (inaudible) three in a row (inaudible)?
TIGER WOODS: It's trying to peak at the right time. That's the trick, and it's not easy to do. Brooks has done it better than anyone else the last couple of years. He knows what he needs to do and he seems to get his game, mind, and body coming together for those big weeks. And that's what we're all looking to have happen, but he's figured out what's best for him.

Q. The only -- Phil has another go at a Career Grand Slam in a couple of weeks. As somebody who's done it, can you talk about what that means to complete that and what kind of respect you have for somebody --
TIGER WOODS: Well, there's only five guys that have done it. So that's the hard part, is -- it's just one of those fickle things. You've had some of the greatest champions of all time that have been missing one leg of the Grand Slam. So for a person who we all know who hasn't driven the ball as straight as he would probably like, he's had six seconds in the U.S. Open. That's incredible to be there that many times. He's figured out a way to play well in the U.S. Open. It just happens to be one of those things where he hasn't won, but he's been there. And wouldn't surprise me if he's there again.

Q. If he completed it, how would you feel, with the relationship you've had over the last couple years?
TIGER WOODS: It's one of those things that, no matter what, he's going to be one of the greatest players that's ever played this game. How he's viewed and whether he wins the Career Grand Slam or not, I still think he's one of the best players to ever pick up a golf club.

Q. When you go into a major championship, do you pay attention at all to a list of favorites?
TIGER WOODS: No, no. No, because it's one week. And whether you're favored or not, it doesn't really matter. Guys are favored, miss cuts. Guys who are favored play well. There's so many guys that -- it's 156-man field. It's just trying -- you worry about your own game, trying to get there on the back nine on Sunday, trying to figure that out. And that's one of the tricks, that's one of the more difficult things to do.

Q. You don't break down the field?
TIGER WOODS: No, I don't. I've got enough problems that I need to worry about in my game and trying to shoot the scores and numbers that I need to shoot to try to win the championship. My responsibility is to try to get myself there.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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