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BMW CHAMPIONSHIPSeptember 7, 2012Tiger WoodsCARMEL, INDIANA Q.  You hit some beautiful shots coming in. How important is it to have a par save like you had on 16 to hold things together to prepare for the birdie run? TIGER WOODS: You know, I've been able to grind. I didn't have it with my swing, just kind of fighting it around here. I was grinding hard, staying as patient as possible. You look up at the scores, the guys are just running off. I just wanted to get to double digits today. I felt like that would have been a good accomplishment the way I was hitting the golf ball, and happy to get a couple more. Q. You guys are so used to firm and fast conditions on the PGA TOUR. Fans, however, like to see the birdies and eagles and have some of those roars. What is it like out there for you out there to see such low scoring? TIGER WOODS: Yeah, it's a lot of pressure because you know on a golf course like that you have to go out there and shoot something in the high 60s. We don't even have a full field. We have 70 guys, and 51 guys shot under par yesterday. I don't think Pete Dye is going to be happy about this. Q. What do you think the strategy is over the course of the next 36 holes compared to the first 36 holes when you know weather could be coming? TIGER WOODS: It'll be soft again. It'll be wet. I mean, you have to drive the ball in the fairway, and we're going to get probably ball in hand, so that'll help. You know, there's cool air behind us, so the ball is not going to be going quite as far. It's supposed to be just a little bit more breezy, but more than anything the ball is not going to be traveling as far, and I think that's going to be the biggest difference. Q. I wonder how you would describe your round. TIGER WOODS: I fought hard. I fought hard. I didn't have much today. Swing wasn't quite there, and I was just grinding along here and just trying to get to double digits under par. That was the goal, the way I was hitting it. I was just slapping it everywhere, and somehow just grind away and find a way to shoot something where I was in double digits by the end of the day, and I just happened to get a couple more. Q. It looked to me starting at 4 you have to make par there to keep from going the other way. Talk about that. TIGER WOODS: Yeah, 4 was a nice hole. I made a good putt there. I made a nice putt at 7, made a nice one at 16, as well. I made my share of nice par putts. As you know, that's what keeps rounds going, and it can turn the tide and get the momentum going in the right direction even though you're struggling. Today, as I said, I didn't quite have it, but somehow figured out a way to post a number. Q. You may not get to hit too many balls today. What are you thinking? TIGER WOODS: I'm going to try to hit a few and get in what I can. I don't know what to do. I'm just not doing it. I've got to get this stubborn old body and mind to cooperate here. Q. Just some general comments about the round. TIGER WOODS: Today was a struggle. I fought hard to shoot a number today, and the way I was hitting it, I figured if I could get to double digits under par it would be a good accomplishment. I got a couple more out of it. Q. Talk about tournaments where you've got to make a ton of birdies. These past two weeks you've been doing that. What's your mindset and what do you have to do in a week like that? TIGER WOODS: Well, you play a golf course like this, it's generally like playing Sawgrass. You don't expect those numbers. One year Greg went low there, but other than that you just don't expect it. You come to a Pete Dye golf course, and you don't expect to see 13‑under par leading after two days. As I said, we have a small field. You have 70 guys, and 51 guys shot under par. That's unbelievable, on a Pete Dye course. When I was out there today, I was at 7‑under, and I was in 11th place, and only played 20 holes. I knew I had to go get it. Q. Is it an education knowing that par is not going to get it done? TIGER WOODS: No, par is not going to get it done. You have to make a few, but all the par‑5s are reachable. You drive the ball in the fairway there, and for us longer hitters we're going to have iron. There's one you might hit a 5‑wood into, like 11 today was playing a little bit into the wind, so I hit a 5‑wood in there. But generally if you‑‑ there's also a couple other short holes which you've got to take advantage of, as well. The scoring opportunities are out there, and especially with it being this warm, ball is flying, we're hitting it probably a club further because it's so warm out there. Q. How did you play 15 to the back pin? TIGER WOODS: I hit the fairway. I had 185 front plus 52. (Laughter.) Q. What did you hit yesterday? TIGER WOODS: I hit 6‑iron yesterday. Rory had 45 and 52 for his numbers. Q. What did you hit in there today? TIGER WOODS: I hit 4‑iron. I had like 237. Q. How important was it to make some good saves today? TIGER WOODS: Well, you have to make pars, and you've got to make those par putts, especially when I'm not swinging that well. So to be able to make those putts and basically turn the tide and not have it go the other way, and especially with the guys going as low as they are, I just had to make those putts, and I was able to pour them right in the middle. Q. Can you talk about 5? TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I had 207 total, and I hit a 7‑iron up there to about eight feet. Q. That was your first of the day? TIGER WOODS: It was. Q. Was that the result of a poor drive? TIGER WOODS: I laid out to the right, got stuck behind me, went a little right, laid up, and it didn't come out. I wasn't planning on being that far back. I was trying to get it down a little bit further than that. Q. Would you talk about how strong both Ryder Cup teams are? TIGER WOODS: Everyone is playing well at the same time, which is nice. And I think that it's going to be nice for all of us to get a break, too. A lot of us have played a lot of golf since the British Open. Some of the guys have made it to some of the European Tour events, and also the FedExCup at the same time. I think everyone is going to need a little week off, recharge, and then get after it the next two. Q. What's the difference between the form you talk about in terms of when you have the FedExCup leading into these Cups and the difference of having only one week between the British and Firestone and off you go? It seems like you might be on the other edge of almost too much golf. TIGER WOODS: No, we are, there's no doubt. We're playing a ton of golf. Some of the guys who played Greensboro took one of the playoff events off. The guys are just‑‑ this is a lot of golf throughout the summer, and it's been hot, too, on top of that, and it's beat up a lot of guys. It's not like you have a small event somewhere where you can just go have fun. They're all big events, and it takes a grind on you. Q. Did you see guys that you normally expect to play all five just play four because of the amount of golf they're playing? TIGER WOODS: Like I said, having this week off is going to help a lot. Q. Next week? TIGER WOODS: Yeah, next week, having that week off just to rest. I think that the guys will get refreshed for the last two and that push. If we had to go and play all four FedExCup and then the Ryder Cup on the back end, I wouldn't think you'd see a lot of guys playing all five. Q. If they had the TOUR Championship after the Ryder Cup, would anybody go? TIGER WOODS: That's a good question. Hypothetical. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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