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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

May 8, 2010

Tiger Woods

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA

Q. Can you talk about your round today?
TIGER WOODS: Well, I had it going for a little bit. I thought if I could have birdied 16 and 17, I'd have been right back in the tournament.
And depends what the leaders do, obviously, but if I would have posted 8, I would have been just, I thought, right there.

Q. Was it there more out there to be had?
TIGER WOODS: Absolutely. There are a few, a few really easy pins and some really easy holes. But also, then again, the way the wind's blowing, it is all over the place. It is swirling. Scotty and I were playing 12, and a simple little wedge shot in there from 100 yards and it's downwind, into the wind. It was right to left, and then it was left to right. We had all four directions going. It's tough out there.

Q. Does the golf course change from the morning to afternoon?
TIGER WOODS: It does. The greens get a little bit more bumpy. They're really hard to read, especially now with the wind blowing like this, the ball is being moved with the wind. So you have to play grain and wind, so it's a tough combination.

Q. Majors or big events like this, do you have a problem when someone gets out to 12 under through 36 holes do you have a problem with low scores at big events?
TIGER WOODS: It depends on how it's set up. The way this golf course is set up, it was set up to be had the first two days. And 2-under par making the cut with 70-plus guys at 2-under is pretty impressive around this place.

Q. Does it diminish at all a big event when there are all the low scores?
TIGER WOODS: It's just the way the circumstances are. If it would have been like this, if they would have dried the golf course out a little earlier, obviously, you wouldn't have seen those scores. I mean, afternoon guys not definitely don't go as low as the morning guys.

Q. Tiger, you were playing really well on the par-5, what happened on 16?
TIGER WOODS: 16, I clipped the tree. I was trying to put the ball a little bit long, little bit left and I had a pitch back up the hill. And I hit it on my line and it just barely clipped the tree, then from there I had a pretty bare lie. And I tried to play a bump-and-run, and it landed and kicked up sand, so it didn't get on the green.

Q. We've seen a couple of shots this week that kind of seemed like they were popped up?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, yeah.

Q. Is that a concern for you and what's happening with that?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, yeah, it's certainly not very good. I'm trying to hit the low ball out there, and I'm actually so steep on it that I'm popping it up. It's a matter of getting wide and shelling it out, and then hitting the low ball properly with loft and then taking off at the end, instead of having no loft coming down and you have no chance.

Q. Going into tomorrow, do you feel like you're out of contention? And if you do, what is your approach getting back into shape?
TIGER WOODS: I need a lot of help. I've got to play just a great round of golf. I need so much help today and tomorrow, and it doesn't look like that's probably going to be the case. There are too many guys out there.

Q. Yesterday you said it was a process, but you're getting closer and closer. Is that another step closer?
TIGER WOODS: Absolutely, absolutely. I hit more good shots today than I have all week. So you don't turn this thing around overnight and then just go out there and play great golf.
This is a process, especially since I haven't played at all. I just need more rounds. Luckily I've got two rounds on the weekend.

Q. You haven't had a lot of experience playing early on a Saturday. But Rory last week made the cut and then went on to win. Does it feel different playing early on a Saturday than it does in the final couple of groups on a Saturday?
TIGER WOODS: Absolutely. There are less people out there. One, you know you have to go low. I can't afford to make a lot of mistakes.
When you have the lead in the tournament, it's great. You can afford to make mistakes. You can make bogies and still win the golf tournament. But when you're trailing, you can't afford to make any bogies. You have to just make a bunch of birdies.

Q. How much more competition do you think you'll need to be where you want to be for the U.S. Open?
TIGER WOODS: I still need some more. There is no doubt I need more. And I certainly will get it. But I'm very pleased so far what I've changed this week and how I've progressed this week.

End of FastScripts

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