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THE PRESIDENTS CUP

October 6, 2009

Tiger Woods

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

Q. Tiger, are you a Raiders fan?
TIGER WOODS: I am. I always have been. I watched Jim Plunkett and Marcus Allen all of those years, so when they were in L.A., so you know, it's what I grew up watching.

Q. On Sunday singles, if you had a choice, anyone on the International Team that you would like to play or anyone that stands out?
TIGER WOODS: You know, it's one of those things where generally I've always played the guy who is playing the best. Or it might be the person who is representing that particular country. I've played against Weirsy in Canada. I played against Vijay here. I played against Ernie in South Africa and Greg in Australia. So either that or guys who are playing really well; like I got Goose when he was playing well and I got Vijay when he was playing well here.

Q. As a competitor, do you want another shot at it?
TIGER WOODS: Whatever happens, happens. Generally, as I said, I've been playing against the guys who are usually playing the best so, see what happens.

Q. How tough is it mentally to switch gears when you're trying to beat somebody individually and now you're chairing for those same guys?
TIGER WOODS: Actually, it's not, because as I've said earlier up there, getting to know these guys on a different level, being on these teams for so many years. It's good to see these guys in a different light, and I don't have a problem cheering for them because they have become friends of mine over the years, and that's what makes these teams so much special. That's why guys want to get on these teams.

Q. Sports like to define itself as decades; when you look back on the last ten years how do you appraise it and what will stick in your mind? A lot was squeezed in the last ten years for you.
TIGER WOODS: It is but golf-wise a lot has transpired. Personally a lot has transpired, as well. It's been good and the bad on both. But overall, I have to say it's been a very positive decade.

Q. Also, it's not like the kids have been without shoes, but this last week, it was announced that you just hit the billionaire status. That's that like to learn?
TIGER WOODS: (Chuckles) Well, one, I haven't, so I don't know where that number came from.

Q. What do you enjoy most about this particular event, is there seemingly a little bit less amped up pressure than The Ryder Cup, and does that make it more enjoyable on the whole?
TIGER WOODS: Well, you know, I think I've said this for so many times, is the difference between The Ryder Cup and The Presidents Cup is all of these international guys are all members of our tour. Only one who is not this year is Ryo. The rest of the guys all play out here.
So the fans know all of these guys. We see them week-in and week-out. The Europeans, it's usually about half the team that are members of our tour, and sometimes not even that many.
So I think the fans are so accustomed to seeing all 24 guys, that it's a little bit different in that regard.

Q. Is the camaraderie what you enjoy, the off-time with the guys, doing stuff together, being competitive and playing ping-pong table, is that all part of this?
TIGER WOODS: Absolutely. As I alluded to up there, you get to see these guys in a different light and you get to hang out, and the friendships you make on these teams are lifelong. I think that's something that, as I was trying to say, the guys just really want to make these teams, because we have so much fun in the team room hanging out and get to know everyone's family, and you become one big team. I think that's what is just so much fun about it.

Q. Pretty cool about The First Tee, the charity, as well.
TIGER WOODS: What they have done around the country has been pretty phenomenal, the participation in the grass roots level and getting people more excited about the game but also teaching life lessons and using the things that are available to us in the game of golf.
My dad has always alluded to the golf being a microcosm of life and that's one thing The First Tee has done.

Q. How do you prepare for alternate-shot, a format that your record has not been as good as other formats?
TIGER WOODS: Alternate-shot my record has been good. It's been fourball where it has not been as good as I would like to have it. It's just one of those things where you've got to make birdies at the right time and make a lot of them. I've played matches where I've shot 63 in fourball and have lost. I've been involved in a couple of matches where we were at 11-under par and lost.
So you just don't know what's going to happen.

Q. You're used to scrutiny obviously throughout your whole career, but seemingly not as much as there is at The Ryder Cup does that make it better, easier? Obviously you're used to it anyway, but there's not the venom that you see at The Ryder Cup; does it make it more easier to deal with?
TIGER WOODS: I don't know how the other players feel, but certainly I have a lot of responsibilities at these Cups, either Cup.

Q. I guess if you don't play well you'll hear it no matter. What?
TIGER WOODS: Either way. I play well and it's not enough and I've played poorly and you're not very good. So it is what it is.

Q. What holes did you enjoy playing today?
TIGER WOODS: We played them all, so it's just a different order and trying to get used to the routing change, the order. And how we are going to pair up and how we are going to play alternate-shot, I think that's something that we are going to have to try and figure out tonight and who is going to get the most shots, most putts. We'll see how all that plays out.

Q. Did you play the City either year you were at Stanford?
TIGER WOODS: No.

Q. You had played Harding a couple of times?
TIGER WOODS: I played Harding when I was in junior golf. I played here and Presidio and a lot of that stuff, yeah.

Q. The ball flight here, guys must be -- you know about it, the ball doesn't go as far here.
TIGER WOODS: It is right now because it's warm. In the morning, certainly it's not going to go as far but as it warms up, today it's in the mid 70s, so the ball is moving.

Q. Conditions good overall, fairways?
TIGER WOODS: Fairways are great, the greens are not what they were four years ago but also not as bad as people made them out to be, either.

End of FastScripts

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