MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 3, 2001

Tiger Woods

TIGER WOODS: Thank you.

TIGER WOODS: Well, I think obviously every golf tournament is just a little bit different. This golf course is different in the fact that you are going to have to be very conscious of your trajectory control coming to the greens. Probably not so -- the case has probably been made a little bit easier with the rain, but, obviously, with the practice round yesterday and today, before the rains came, the greens were pretty firm. You had to make sure you came in with the right trajectory and the right spin to hit the slopes, because if you are wrong on both of those occasions, you are going to get into some spots where it's just going to be extremely difficult to make par.

TIGER WOODS: Probably since the beginning of the year.

TIGER WOODS: I guess probably the only times I replay it is when people ask me. That's about it.

TIGER WOODS: What do you mean by that?

TIGER WOODS: My problem is I think I played too much at the end of last year. I played eight consecutive weeks, traveled more than 27,000 miles on four different continents and that put a toll on my body. When I came out, I didn't feel as if I was appreciative enough. I didn't take enough of a break. I came out and I wasn't, unfortunately, as energetic as I should have been. That's not saying I wasn't trying. I was really trying, trying to play. But when your energy level is not quite what it should be, sometimes it is a little more difficult. I think that is one of the lessons I've learned, but the problem is, I had a lot of defending to do at the end of last year. It was kind of a catch-22 situation. But, I learned, and probably will make changes in the future toward that scheduling.

TIGER WOODS: Yeah. Yeah. Totally.

TIGER WOODS: Obviously I'm got going to deny this, it is probably the hardest -- it is the harder way to accomplish a Grand Slam is in one year. There's no doubt about that. But I think if you can put all four trophies on your coffee table, I think you can make a pretty good case for that, too.

TIGER WOODS: Nice question. (Laughs).

TIGER WOODS: That's just one of those things I tried and it just didn't work out. I've been in contention. I just can't won, and that's just part of playing a championship, especially majors. I think the key is to keep putting yourself there. You know, if I can keep putting myself there for the next, you know, whatever it is, 15, 20, 30 years, whatever it is, I'll win my share. And I will lose my share, too.

TIGER WOODS: Probably haven't hit it quite as good. Haven't quite made as many putts; hence, I didn't shoot 18-under par.

TIGER WOODS: Yeah. You can putt well, but it's going to make things a lot more difficult if you're not hitting the golf ball in the right spots. The year that I won, I had had -- I drove the ball beautifully, but I had really hit my irons into spots where I had uphill putts. I think that's one of the keys to this golf course is put yourself in those situations where you can be aggressive with your putts. It's not too hard to make 10- and 12-footers if you have them uphill all day, versus, 10- and 12-footers coming straight down the slopes. It's going to be extremely difficult this week, and I think with -- well, I think with the conditions being a little bit softer, it will make things a little bit easier, but I think you are also going to have to watch out for - if it stays this wet, you're play coming into the greens is going to be a little bit more difficult if you drive the ball in the rough.

TIGER WOODS: Well, I know that answer. (Laughter.) Don't look at me. (Laughter.) You know, I think a little bit is probably both. I think it's probably the best way to answer that. I have, the last couple years have played pretty good. I think it's -- I've said this before, I think when you are playing well, I think the media kind of blows that out of proportion a little bit, makes you seem like you are playing too good. And when you are not playing good they make you feel -- or I should say, sound like you are playing terrible. So, it is kind of a -- I guess it's both. I've had my successes over the past couple years, and obviously, you guys have used your words to your advantage. (Smiles)

TIGER WOODS: I'm not saying they are wrong. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

TIGER WOODS: Disagreeing and being respectful. There's no denying I've always been respectful of them and I always will. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion and their own views upon life, and obviously, my views are slightly different than theirs, which in no means will ever have any kind of disrespect connotation to it.

TIGER WOODS: It comes in spurts. I'll play four, five, nine, 12 holes like I did last year, and I'll have kind of those off-holes. It's just not quite there, but it's good enough. I played really well at times last year, and a couple times just happened to be in majors. But am I close to that? Yeah, I am pretty close, and hopefully, everything will come together.

TIGER WOODS: I think a lot of it is just timing. Just getting the good feel going with your golf swing and putting stroke and short game. It's just, you know, we practice very hard. It's the ebb and flow of the game of golf. That's one of the reasons why we love to play is that challenge of it. You know what you need to do, and sometimes it's just tough going doing it.

TIGER WOODS: Would I bet on myself? I believe in myself.

TIGER WOODS: Do I feel the burden of it? No. To be honest with you, it is a special tournament, and we are here at the Masters, and that is very special. But, you know what, I guarantee you, come Sunday night, win or lose, life is going to go on. The sun will come up on Monday. It's just, you know, people obviously are excited about what could transpire, and so am. I'm eager to get out there and have some fun and play and compete. But it's not -- what I've learned from playing out here, it's not life or death. I enjoy competing and it is fun. Take it as that.

TIGER WOODS: Can I? I have before in the past, back in junior golf, and I've learned how to control that. Now, it's just a tournament. I'm prepared for it, and hopefully, I can play well.

TIGER WOODS: I don't know, maybe it is just timing, that I've played well at the right time. I don't really know it if I feel as if I thrive on it. I enjoy -- you know me, I enjoy getting out there and competing and playing. The bigger the tournament, obviously, the more excited all of us are about playing in those events. I think that's one of the reasons why I've been able to play as well as I have in those events. I've been obviously playing well, but I'm also kind of excited and more focused.

TIGER WOODS: Well, there's a lot of cameras out there, a lot of pictures. Looks like lightening is going off. Pretty freak storm. Here I think it is probably one of the easier events from the standpoint of dealing with the attention. Obviously, Augusta has its rules when it comes to the media on the golf course and people inside the ropes, and I think that makes things so much easier for us as players. It's just a lot more quiet out there to play, and I think that's one of the reasons why you've seen such special events in the past, is just because the guys are allowed to go out there and play.

TIGER WOODS: I play it every year.

TIGER WOODS: I think it's cool. I mean, I love it. I look forward to it every year, getting out there and playing. You know, this year, I've got a fantastic group again. I'm going out there with Marco and Notah and we are just going to hack it around and have some fun.

TIGER WOODS: I don't think I'm going to play that shot in the tournament. (Laughter.)

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I think some of the guys have really played well this year. I'm excited for them. Obviously, one of my buddies, Calcavecchia has played well and it's fun to see him do that, and some of the other guys have played well, as well. So, is that a motivating thing? Kind of hard to say it is, because, obviously, I have my own goals and my own expectations. Every time I enter a tournament, I try to win. So that has not changed. But it is fun to see some of my friends playing well. I think that's probably the biggest kick.

TIGER WOODS: You know, I think with all of the, I guess, the things that I have to deal with off the golf course, I don't think that -- obviously, it is difficult at times. But, getting out there and competing and playing and challenging yourself to reach another level and hit good golf shots when you absolutely have to; that, to me, is the thrill of it. Obviously, there are responsibilities for being able to do that occasionally. I have to, obviously, deal with more things off the golf course because of that. But, I absolutely enjoy coming out here and competing and playing. I love it. I love to do that. It's just such a big kick for me, as a player. I mean, I love to be able to put myself in contention, coming down the stretch on the back nine and have to execute a golf shot, and your nerves are fluttering a little bit, eyeballs are beaten, palms are sweating, and it's fun to be able to experience that and somehow be able to control it and pull off a shot.

TIGER WOODS: I do. That's why I prepare and play, and then practice at home, to try and get my game good enough so I can experience that more frequently, because it is fun.

TIGER WOODS: Well, I think when -- if I can get myself playing well for, I guess, three days or whatever it is, going to the final round with a chance to win, just to be able to know and feel that I've done this before on this golf course, you know, that is an advantage. I guess that's one of the reasons I didn't think you see so many repeat winners here at this tournament, because you have to understand where to put it so you can give yourself the best chance of making par, or even birdie. That experience is just invaluable, and knowing the fact that you have done it before in the past, it's just something great to rely on. I've said it before, to myself, countless times in tournaments that I've won, "I've done this before." And it's even better when you can say that you've done it before on this golf course. When you can say that to yourself, it does make you feel a little more at ease.

TIGER WOODS: It's just exactly what it means. Trying to get your game peaking at the right time, where you are, I guess, hitting at all cylinders; you're striking the ball well; putting is good; mental approach to the game is good. Everything is just right where it needs to be. Is that easy to do? No. Do we do it? Every once in awhile. But that's the challenge of it all is to try and have your game at the level you want to have it when you want to have it. How do I go about doing that? To be honest with you, I think a lot of it is just by feel and experience. As a method, I go about doing and using, no. I just play and practice and feel what I need to do. Some days, it's -- I need to hit a whole bunch of drivers. Other days, I need to work on my short game. Other days I just need to take a day off and just think about my game. So, you just understand -- I've come to an understanding of what it takes for me to accomplish that, because I've done it before in the past.

TIGER WOODS: Not really. Here, as I said earlier, I think it's just a matter of controlling your ball flight and your trajectory and using the slopes to your advantage. There are times when, yeah, you can spin it off the slope and use it to your advantage. Other times where it is a detriment. Each situation you have to play by feel and execute the golf shot the way you know you have to. If you do, you'll be all right.

TIGER WOODS: No.

TIGER WOODS: I'm getting there.

TIGER WOODS: Actually, my driving has actually been pretty good. It's just a couple tournaments, I've kind of hit it -- my bad ones this year have been worse than they were last year, but my good ones have been really good, because I'm working on shaping the ball a little bit more and it's been fun shaping it the way you want to shape it and the trajectory you want it. Bay Hill, once I went to work on Monday trying to fix it, I felt pretty good about it by day's end, after a good, hard day of practice. I hit the ball -- I know what I was doing. It's just a matter of not doing it. When you are out there and you don't really have a clue where the ball is going to go, but you know what it can take to solve it, it's kind of hard to sit up there and trust it when you have to put a ball in play and there's water left, water right, rough, there's out-of-bounds, you see fans, you see trees, you see a whole bunch of different things. It gets kind of tough.

TIGER WOODS: Whether it is or it isn't, it's not something I'm really concerned about. Just like -- I guess the best way to answer that is back in the summer of last year when I had an opportunity to complete the career Grand Slam, people were saying, yeah, if I win the tournament, I would complete the career Grand Slam. Well, yes, that is true, but my goal was to win the tournament, and if I win the tournament, obviously, that's completing the career Grand Slam is a bi-product of that. So that was my mindset and that is my mindset this week. I'm going to go out there just like I do every week and hopefully compete and win the championship. And if I do, then, you know, people say what it is.

TIGER WOODS: Not necessarily. I think it will be neat if the opportunity presents itself to where I can put all four at the same time, at least for however long before I return the U.S. Open trophy.

TIGER WOODS: You know, that's a tough one to answer, just because it's -- you know, each situation was so uniquely different. Obviously, they were different players in their time and different circumstances. Obviously, what Bobby Jones did in 1930 was just absolutely incredible and what Hogan did in 1953 was incredible. Whether I do it or not, just to be able to say or to have people start saying those kind of things and compare it, that means I've done all right for myself.

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, it will.

TIGER WOODS: Well, depends on what kind of wind we get coming through here and what kind of temperatures and what kind of humidity. If it stays humid, obviously, the fairways will still stay soft and the greens will be receptive. If we get cool air coming through here just like we did last year, it dried up things on the weekend and made things pretty interesting.

TIGER WOODS: I think any tournament, it is extremely important to get off to a good, solid start. But, there are certain tournaments where you can actually get away with getting off to a bad start, and that is generally in some of the tougher majors, because you know if you go out there and shoot back-to-back, good, solid rounds in the mid- to high-60s, you'll get right back in the ball game pretty quick. Whereas, in normal Tour events, if you shoot where yourself in the foot with a 75 or so, you'd better come back with some really low numbers to make up for it, because guys are just going so low. In major championships, it's a little bit different than that.

TIGER WOODS: Stevie has been in my ear about it and he has definitely told me about his auto racing that he does down there and I would maybe like to possibly catch one of his races. From what I've been told and seen in pictures, it's a beautiful country. I've stopped there in Auckland on my way to Australia to play in a tournament, but I've never stayed. Hopefully I can stay there and then visit.