BUICK INVITATIONAL

February 15, 2004

Tiger Woods

Q. You made a run.

TIGER WOODS: I made a run. I had the momentum going and made a bogey on 12. That hurt a lot because I had a chance. I parred 12, birdied 13. At the time I didn't know what the lead was. I figured if I could make two more coming home, put 12 up on the board, I really liked my chances.

Q. On the outside chance that Daly holds on and wins this thing, what's your thoughts on the roller coaster ride he's had?

TIGER WOODS: He's had a lot of different things happen to him. We've all read about it and seen it. I think what's pretty impressive is towards the end of last year, he started getting it going. He started playing a little bit better. You started seeing signs of him getting his game under control. He had off course issues to deal with last year, which was a big distraction. But he got through it and he's playing better. I think that's a culmination of that.

Q. (Inaudible) Did you feel comfortable all 18 today?

TIGER WOODS: I hit the ball really well today. I hit three bad tee shots. It happened to be on the back nine, 12, 13, and 15. That kind of hurt.

Q. (Inaudible)?

TIGER WOODS: I feel like I'm playing well. The work I did last night I felt very happy with it, because it's a continuation of what I did on the back nine yesterday. I felt so good starting out. I hit so many good golf shots starting out, I wish I would have kept it going.

Q. (Inaudible)?

TIGER WOODS: I think it's great to have anybody who has gone through the things he's gone through and succeed. What he's done to his body on his own and then obviously with some of the bad issues that came up it wasn't even his own doing, last year, for him to get through all that and still succeed is pretty impressive.

Q. You love this course, don't you?

TIGER WOODS: I love this golf course, always have. It's a great golf course. It played tough today with the greens as firm as they were. It was tough to get the ball close to the flag.

Q. Next week, Riviera?

TIGER WOODS: Obviously Riviera is a very difficult golf course. If they've gotten the golf course dry like they did down here, it could be one heck of a challenge to keep the ball on those greens.

Q. They changed 18.

TIGER WOODS: I heard about that, made it longer. It was hard enough as it was, wasn't it?

Q. What do you think about that?

TIGER WOODS: It was hard enough as it was. The tee shot is difficult, but the second shot is unbelievably difficult. If they ever get any kind of Santa Ana wind blowing (Inaudible). I played it that way with Robert Allenby. If it rains next week, that could be unbelievably difficult.

Q. I'm doing some an analysis on your swing. Will you in fact take a look at any of that stuff or is there anything you're worried about?

TIGER WOODS: I know what I'm doing. It's a matter of stopping it. I can do it on the range pretty good. I did it for the entire front nine today. All day on the back nine yesterday. I just need to continue it and keep it going. Unfortunately, I didn't do it on the back nine today.

Q. (Inaudible)?

TIGER WOODS: It's with irons, too. It's with all clubs. If I get the club down in front of me, I get stuck. My hips outrace my arms and the club gets behind me. It's not that my arms drop behind me, it's that my body outraces my arms. If I can slow my body down and get my arms down faster, I can hit the ball decent.

Q. (Inaudible) how much does it motivate you?

TIGER WOODS: It's a great golf. I actually love it. I've had my chances there to win, and I just haven't been able to do it. Who knows, this week could be the week.

Q. It sort of fits right into your preference range, single digits under par?

TIGER WOODS: I love when we get a golf course when single digits win. Double digits you have to play unbelievable golf. That's the way it should be. I don't like tournaments where you have to go out and shoot 25 under par, and you know that going into the week. I don't like tournaments like that. I don't think that's the type of challenge that it's not the same. It doesn't reward good ball striking, the guys who know how to play smart. It's more of a dart contest, who is playing the best that week. When you get a golf course that's firm, fast, and hard, it requires shot making and, more importantly, it requires a lot of thinking. You can't go up there and just hit a golf shot. You have to place the ball correctly and be smart.

Q. Is there anything not conducive do your game (inaudible)?

TIGER WOODS: This week and next week are the two tough weeks. For some reason nobody wants to come out and watch Match Play. They know I could be gone. This week and next week are the two big weeks. I get hit up pretty good at Bay Hill, too. For some reason this week, everybody wanted to come down.

Q. (Inaudible)?

TIGER WOODS: It's one of the best designed golf courses that we play all year. It's fair. It's hard, but it's fair. It's right there in front of you. There are no hidden surprises. Every bunker is right there. There's only one blind tee shot, which is 18. There are no bunkers up there. You know where the fairway is. You have to go out there and hit it.

End of FastScripts.