U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 12, 2001

Tiger Woods

TIGER WOODS: I played well. Last year was a lot of fun to be able to play a golf course that was in such great shape, and a course that I played a lot in college. I played the State Am there. I played the AT&T's there. And the scenic beauty on top of that, to really play well, and to win a National Championship on Pebble Beach was something very special. And it's no doubt something I will always cherish and always remember, because I think that's probably a sight that if you're going to win one U.S. Open, that's probably the sight, because of its pristine beauty.

TIGER WOODS: It's hard to say, because No. 5, it's more than likely going to be a three-shot hole for everybody in the field. And 16 being 490, it plays downwind, and so it plays a heck of a lot shorter than the number. Now, if the wind switches and it comes back in our face on a couple of these holes, it plays more like the hole on 5, and it's going to be quite a challenge. But the prevailing wind, it's always going to be downwind. Is there an advantage to being a longer hitter? Yes and no, I guess. If you drive it straight, yes. But you need to hit the ball in the fairway, and I think that's far more important than how far you hit it.

TIGER WOODS: Would I put money on me? Probably not. Just because I don't think it would be a good business decision, with those odds. (Laughter.) Now, do I like my chances? Yes, I do.

TIGER WOODS: Thomas is a great guy, and I've gotten to know him over the years that I've played around the world, and Thomas and I have become pretty good friends. It's going to be nice to play with him again. We had four rounds we played together in Dubai. He played well. And he beat me. But overall, we chatted it up all the way around. We had a great time. And it's always nice to be able to be paired with friends.

TIGER WOODS: The green on 18 is awfully severe, and I could obviously tell you the story between the memories of the USGA, but I'd rather not. All I can say is that the green on 18, if you hit a good, solid shot in the middle of the green, there is a chance of that ball rolling 40 yards off the green. It's a good shot, right in the middle of the green. And that's a pretty harsh penalty for a good, solid shot, especially the hole being 470, and you've got 2- or 3-iron -- or even lumber, you're firing it into a green like that, where it doesn't really reward a good shot. And that's -- that's tough. But everyone in the field has to play it.

TIGER WOODS: Well, I don't know. That's a good question. I feel like I'm hitting the ball crisp and clean, which is just nice to be able to do, especially playing off these Bermuda lies, you have to be able to do that. I feel like I'm driving the ball pretty solid. It may not be straight in the fairway every time, but at least it's flush. And if it's flush, you can always fix that. But my putting is about the same as it was last year. I feel like I'm able to hit shots consistently, and that's what I'm going to have to do this week. And going into The Masters, I really wasn't doing that. As I said, I was able to do it for six- or seven-hole stretches, and then I'd lose it for a couple of holes, and then I'd get it back. Lately, I've been able to keep that for an entire round. I think that's one of the reasons why I've been able to score the way I've been able to score.

TIGER WOODS: What's the perfect round in my mind?

TIGER WOODS: I think -- I guess every hole that you could hit the ball, potentially make it, it goes in. Whether that's in 2 or 1 or whatever it is, I think that would be a pretty good round.

TIGER WOODS: To be honest with you, this golf course is such that it's straightforward, it's right in front of you. There's no tricks; and that's one of the great things about playing some of the older golf courses, that there aren't any lumps and bumps and blind shots. Everything is right in front of you. It presents a challenge. The fairways are defined, the bunkers are very defined. And it's going to be quite a test. And I haven't done anything special in preparing for this event. I've tried to hit the ball crisp and clean and work on my driving a little bit, make sure I'm hitting the clubs off the tees straight enough, and improving my end play, and from there, I can hit some iron shots and make some putts.

TIGER WOODS: As of right now, I'm not considering it.

TIGER WOODS: Yes.

TIGER WOODS: I don't know what the weakest part of my game is. I feel like my overall game is pretty sound. There may be some loopholes in there that I don't really see that are weak, maybe not quite as strong. But in preparing for a golf course, whether it's a right-to-left or left-to-right course or it's short or it's long, I think it's just understanding that you need to put the ball certain places, and go ahead and put there. And there's really no trick to it. And shape the ball accordingly. I feel like I'm one of those players that can actually move the ball both ways. I may not do it as proficient as I want to sometimes, but at least I feel like I can do that.

TIGER WOODS: In sports in general?

TIGER WOODS: I think I'd probably be doing an injustice if I don't name all of them. There are so many great feats in all of sports. I guess DiMaggio and his hitting streak, and what Bobby Jones accomplished, Edwin Moses and his streak. There's been so many great accomplishments, I can't say there's one that really stands out. Because every one -- every one of the great accomplishments, no matter what sport it was, it's a defining moment in that sports history, and maybe sports in general. But I think that it's been really neat for me to be an observer of sports and be able to watch those events and really appreciate it. Because I really enjoy sports.

TIGER WOODS: As long as the stocks I'm involved in rise, I don't care (laughter.)

TIGER WOODS: I think I'm trying to do what's best for me. And that's just what -- I guess what people see, whether I get away from it or not or whether I'm practicing and focused or whether I'm playing the golf course, whatever it is. I have found what works best for Tiger Woods to get ready for a major championship, and actually any tournament in general, and I understand that. And that's why I try and somehow do it every time I go to a tournament site.

TIGER WOODS: Well, Stevie and I are already arguing about the fact that it's his home course and he doesn't think we need a yardage book. (Laughs.) But what Stevie has told me, it's a beautiful place. And hopefully I can come down there and do a little fishing and hang out and see where he grew up, and it's going to be a lot of fun. We're going to have a great time.

TIGER WOODS: Well, I think in the years we've been involved, since March of '97, we have our own tournament, we run our own concert every year. I don't know how many lives we've touched, but I can tell you this; that we've given more kids another outlet to make something of themselves. And that's pretty special to me, to give them another chance to grow in life and to make something of themselves, and that's what we're here trying to do. Not every kid will become a professional golfer, and that's not what we're all about. We're trying to influence their lives in a positive way, either through golf programs or education. So far in our infancy years, we've done a fantastic job of that. People working on the staff have dedicated their time, and our sponsors, as well, and it's neat to have the communities we go to get behind not only what we do, but the local programs, and really get something started, and something very special. And each of the cities we've been to. And I think that's what is very important, because you don't want to have us be like a circus, and we're there for one or two, three days and we blow out of town and there's nothing there. We want to have a leave-behind program, and in every community we go to, we have leave-behind programs, and have done a fantastic job of getting kids into the schools, better grades. And from there, participating in our great game of golf.

TIGER WOODS: That's up to them to figure that out. I think if they get their games right and play to how they think they can play, they could do something very special within the game. What I'm saying is that 20 years down the road, I think you're going to see better athletes playing the game. Kids who are bigger and stronger, more athletically gifted than what we've seen in the past. I don't think it would be uncommon to see guys who are 6'3 and above whaling away at the ball with touch, and understanding how to play the game of golf, the strategy involved. And I think that's going to be kind of neat to see when that happens, we get kids out here that big, that long, that proficient at controlling the ball.

TIGER WOODS: Usually when I wake up in the middle of the night, it's to do something else. (Laughter.) I haven't really looked at it that way, sorry. You ask amazing questions sometimes. There are times when, yeah, I'll look back in hindsight and look at the accomplishments I've had, and to me, some of the things I've been able to accomplish in the game are very special to me. The many championships I've won, and USGA events I've won as a junior and amateur, those are very special, and my experiences in college, as well. But I guess I get a better appreciation from what I've accomplished from other people, they give me, I guess, a better perspective. When you're out there playing, you're out there competing; yes, you ultimately want to accomplish a goal, and sometimes I do. Sometimes I really don't have that appreciation for what I've been able to accomplish, because I've been so focused on that and I don't see the periphery and what it really means. Sometimes I have to rely on others to give me a clear perspective of what it really has meant in the game, and it's been kind of neat to hear that sometimes. That's not why I play the game of golf, that's for sure. But it is neat to be able to get a different look on it, because all I see is trying to shape a shot and trying to make a putt. And you don't really look at, I guess, what it really means to other people.

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I think the guys that play on the European Tour don't have to face this type of climate. There's no doubt about that, not on a daily basis. I live in Florida, and this is normal in the summertime. It's what we face for three or four months of the year. Sometimes worse than this. The guys who play in Europe don't really have that on, I guess, a routine basis every year. The only time they face that is when they go outside of Europe. I think, also, the golf courses aren't set up like this, and they aren't set up like this on our Tour anyways, just in the major championships. And this one is more severe. We do play golf courses that are slightly more difficult than they do in Europe. The rough is a little bit higher. And that's what we have done in the last, I guess, five to ten years; we've made a concerted effort to make the golf courses more difficult. Our PGA TOUR staff have gotten the feedback from the players, and that's what the players have wanted and that's what we've done. When I've gone over to Europe, I've only played a select few in Europe, not all of them, just a select few, and the ones I have played, they aren't set up how they are in the States. And that's just, I think, part of the climate. It's very hard to get the rough to grow that high and the greens that fast.

TIGER WOODS: You mean start preparing for it?

TIGER WOODS: It's hard to say I switched on and off on it. I think about it and think about things that I might need, and all of a sudden, I'm thinking about what I'm going to do at Dallas. And after that, it's going to be Germany and Memorial. But when I finished Memorial and I came here on Monday to play a practice round, that's when I really started giving it my full attention. At least I had something in my mind's eye to replicate, when I was doing my practice sessions.

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I think so. Sometimes. Depends on when I go. Sometimes I may go earlier. I may go before TPC. Even sometimes before Bay Hill. And sometimes I may go later, like I did last year. And this year I went after TPC and to play it and give my full attention. But in either case, it's always nice to be able to see a golf course and replicate in your mind's eye and see what you need to face, and then at practice sessions, you have that.

TIGER WOODS: I definitely don't think of that. I think that's one of the reasons why I'm playing and you guys aren't (laughter.) Just kidding. I've got a putt, let's say -- for instance a good example is the putt I had to make at the PGA last year to force a playoff. I had that putt, and to be honest with you, all I'm thinking about is: "I've done this a thousand times on the putting green, I've enjoyed it, just step up and just relax and hit the putt." What's the worst thing that's going to happen? You're going to make or miss, one of the two. And no matter what happens on that putt, the sun is still going to come up the next day. And do I put that much pressure on myself? I really don't. Do I expect to execute what I set out to execute? Yes. And if I don't, yes, it is disappointing. But it's not the end of the world. I'm still going to hopefully be breathing the next day, and the sun is coming up and I'm enjoying the next day. Sometimes it does hurt when you don't accomplish what you set out to accomplish. But that should in no shape or form ever really run your life, because life is too short.

TIGER WOODS: You know, Doug, it's still the same thing. I'm still doing exactly the same things every day. I guess the only thing is I may not play as many holes this week because -- then again, I don't normally play that much before a tournament. I just show up and play Wednesday, so I take that back. I really don't do anything different.

TIGER WOODS: I've played well.

TIGER WOODS: I don't really think there's anything more than that. I've been very fortunate to have my game come together at the right time. I've gotten some good, lucky breaks, and I've capitalized on those lucky breaks. That's what you have to have happen. This week is a great example. You hit a couple of bad shots, you put a couple of balls in the tree, you miss the ball in the rough, if you get a couple of good lies, next thing you know, you've turned that around and made a potential hazard into a great number.

TIGER WOODS: I do, but I don't.

TIGER WOODS: I've been to Paris twice already. I went there back in '90, southern California Junior Golf Association tournament. Played against the French National team. It was a lot of fun. I played there in '94 in the World Cup. And we were very fortunate enough to win that tournament. And I've seen everything around Paris and in Paris. And that week is going to be a fun week. I'm looking forward to going, looking forward to competing on that golf course, and really having a good time. And also getting adjusted to the time zone for the following week.

TIGER WOODS: I think the guys are better players now. And with better equipment, better technique, the scores are getting better. And with all the improvements in our game, the guys are just shooting better scores, and they're trying to limit that with some of the golf courses, and the pin locations, more than anything. The rough isn't an as high as they've had in the past. But they're making up for it with the pins. They're tucking the pins more than ever, in the history of watching things on the TV. They weren't tucked three or four off the side to the hole; that wasn't the case. They were more toward the middle. It's going to be fun to play in this, and see what we can do.

TIGER WOODS: You can add.

TIGER WOODS: Okay. First one, right? What would it mean if I won five? It would mean -- it would mean a lot to me, very special to be able to do that and something that I hopefully can do. But I don't know how to say this the right way. Hopefully, I can explain a little bit better. The best I can do. I'm not trying to win five. I'm trying to win one. I guess that's the best way I can explain it. I'm not here this week just to win this week. What I've accomplished in the past, that's great, but it doesn't hit any golf shots for me this week. I've still got to go out and execute my shots. And that's what I'm trying to do this week, go out there and give myself a chance to win come Sunday. And hopefully, I can come through. But I need to get my game right this week, because whatever I've done in the previous four majors isn't going to help me hit any shots out here. I'm not going to have an out-of-body experience, and sit there and watch myself hit a shot. I've got to go out and actually execute the golf shots myself. As far as what my dad said in TV Guide, that's my dad's opinion, and everyone is entitled to an opinion. Obviously, that's what he believes in. When I feel is the time is right, the time is right, and I really don't know when that is. Whether it's going to be next week or it's going to be 20 years from now, I really don't know. I don't know what my future holds for me in that realm. But I will know when the time is right and I will enjoy that part of my life when it does happen.

TIGER WOODS: To what?

TIGER WOODS: I hit it on there yesterday, but it's --.

TIGER WOODS: 280 in the front. No big deal.

TIGER WOODS: I hit a little cut 6-iron up in there. (Laughter.)