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BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

August 17, 2019

Tiger Woods

Medinah, Illinois

Q. Bogey-free round out there. Did you feel as comfortable and as strong as you looked out there today?
TIGER WOODS: Carney, I felt good. Basically the only difference between today and last couple of days I was able to cleanup the card. I didn't have any stupid mistakes where I made bogey from bad spots or from easy spots. I converted a nice up and down on 5. I did the little things that was able to keep the momentum going and made a couple putts here and there.

Q. Is it fair to say like the first two days were almost like your practice days, that you weren't able to spend the time practicing and working on your swing and almost had to go through -- obviously they counted but it almost feel like that, trying to get your feels in?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah. I took a few days off there to rest my oblique and played only 9 holes on Wednesday. I didn't hit any balls except for warming up. Yeah, it is what it is.

At least I put myself in position to where I might be first off at 10 tomorrow. At least, I've got a shot at it.

Q. Tiger, are you feeling better physically than you have in awhile, like maybe even going back to post-Masters?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, without a doubt. Things I'm working on in my game definitely make me feel a little bit better. But it's just one of those things where some days I feel better than others, but also, then again, it's what I do with the golf club, too. Able to swing the club properly. Body feels better.

Q. Yesterday you were one for five scrambling. Today you were 6 for 6. What was the difference?
TIGER WOODS: As I said, I did the little things better. I cleaned it up, and up and down I made at 5 was nice.

And I did miss the green, it was either on the fringe or I was just off or had easy pitches. I was able to not make a bogey. I didn't do that the first two days. I made some really stupid mistakes out there. Didn't hit the ball close when I needed to and I missed some easy putts for par or birdie. This was nice to at least give myself a chance to make it to next week.

Q. Now that you're in position, are the juices flowing for tomorrow?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah. I figured I'm going to have to do something in mid-60s for two straight days there. Left myself pretty far behind after the first two rounds.

What's more amazing how many guys are under par on this golf course. There isn't one person over-par. Who would have guessed that going into this week?

We all thought this was one of the more tough and bigger ballparks and the whole field is playing well. There's normally a few guys that are struggling. The entire field is playing well is something that we're all pretty surprised at.

These greens got a lot of the movement to them, still on the quick side. The rough is high. Can't get to the green from the rough normally. Somehow guys are figuring out a way to all make birdies.

Q. What's the deal?
TIGER WOODS: I don't know. We were talking about it the last couple days and at this break we're still talking about it.

Q. Dustin have a lot to say about it?
TIGER WOODS: We all did. It's amazing to see how many guys are under par.

Q. I wonder, the fact that last week was a wash for you, you still got one round in. This is kind of the new PGA. The thing about the PGA always in August it was always soft and raining. Is that what we'll see in The Playoffs?
TIGER WOODS: Probably. It's going to be hot when the Playoffs, generally in August no matter where we go. Look what it was last year at a Aronimink, hundred plus degrees. Just one of those things where it's going to be like that in August. We have a chance of getting some weather but up here we play the PGA in August and it hadn't been like this, not the whole field.

Q. How much do you think that has to do with the young guys and their mindset and they're just fearless and don't know this is supposed to be a tough track and they --
TIGER WOODS: I think that's the way the new game is played. We were talking about that earlier this week is that when I first came out on Tour and before me, especially, there's a lot of 1 irons and stiff off the tees. Just kind of get it in play.

Now, you just pull out driver, bomb it down there and you're looking for three to four good weeks a year. That's how you play. It's not the consistency, it's not about making a bunch of cuts. It's about having three, four good weeks a year. That's the difference. The guys understand that.

Today's equipment you can maximize a driver and just absolutely just bomb it and some of the guys sacrifice stuff around the greens or short irons for the driver. The driver is the most important club in the bag now just because of the way the game is played.

Q. How is that going to make you look at guys for the Presidents Cup, though?
TIGER WOODS: Different golf course. It's a different animal. When we go down there, it's going to be quick and hard. I told the guys I'm looking for guys that are playing well but also can handle it. Kind of like Augusta greens but with a links feel.

Q. I know you like to say that Justin has another gear with the driver. He doesn't really get it out there longer than you, does he?
TIGER WOODS: He does. Today, don't count the way he played today. He was missing it. Wasn't hitting it well and spinning it a lot. His spinners carry 310 yards. Those are missing. When he gets it going and at full flight, that's another 20 yards.

Q. Tiger, do you feel like your Masters win has influenced people's expectations for what you're able to do with your body in its current shape?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah. What I did at East Lake, that changed people's perceptions. Got a Major in there.

Q. (Inaudible)
TIGER WOODS: I'm going to have some difficulties here and there. I got to fight through it and be patient with it.

Q. How much have you watched your 18th hole last year at the Tour Championship the way that unfolded for golf fans? Has it all been in the back of your mind trying to get back there?
TIGER WOODS: It has been in the back of my mind to get there. I want to get to the Tour Championship where I got a chance to win our Cup and, on top of that, that's where the entire summer of work, the body of work finally culminated in a win.

Having a chance at the British Open and PGA, played a good round at Aronimink. Things were trending in the right direction and I put it altogether for one week and to go toe to toe with Rosy and Rory and to be able to bet them like that on that golf course, just the way it all ended, coming back and then winning on the last hole, the last event that I'm going to play, it just was a pretty cool ending.

Q. What's the number you got to shoot so it's in no one's else hands but yours?
TIGER WOODS: I shoot 60, it should be right.

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