He’s a 48-year-old now with a fused back, a rod in his right leg to help with stability and more physical ailments than a former 12-year NFL lineman.
Because of these issues, the most prolific winner in PGA Tour history has been reduced to becoming a part-time player.
Yet, Tiger Woods still believes he has it in him.
Tiger Woods enters the PGA Championship confident.Getty Images
“I still feel that I can win golf tournaments,’’ Woods said Tuesday during his pre-tournament media availability. “I still feel I can hit the shots and still feel like I still have my hands around the greens and I can putt. I just need to do it for all four days, not like I did at Augusta for only two.’’
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The Masters last month was the most recent time Woods played in a tournament.
He set the tournament record for most consecutive cuts made at 24, but he finished last among the 60 players who made the cut.
Max Homa had a front-row seat for the Woods show at Augusta, because he was paired with him for the first two rounds.
And Homa came way from that experience believing what Woods believes — that he still has the shots to win again, add to his record 82 career victories.
“His golf game was incredible,’’ Homa recalled Tuesday. “Two days I played with him he hit a great. If he had made anything [putts], he would have been right around the lead. It was tough draw for him in that we had to play 20-odd some holes the second day [23 holes Friday because the first round was suspended due to inclement weather]. He wasn’t limping too bad. So, yeah, I think he’s got a decent amount [of game left].
“His skill level, his talent is still just mesmerizing. I feel like it would, it always would be crazy to think he would win another one. But watching him play those two days at Augusta, I very much thought he could win another golf tournament. I feel like we all know he wants it real bad. He works his ass off and he’s really, really good at golf, so I would put nothing past him at this point.’’
Tiger Woods hits the ball during a practice round.Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
Told of Homa’s comments, Woods said, “Yeah, I can still hit shots. Getting around is more of the difficulty that I face day-to-day, and the recovery of pushing myself either in practice or in competition days. You saw it at Augusta. I was there after two days and didn’t do very well on the weekend.’’
Woods followed his 73-72 start playing with Homa with an 82 in the third round and a 77 in the final round.
Tiger Woods always draws a crowd.John Sommers II/UPI/Shutterstock
For this week, Woods will do what he can to draw on his epic playoff victory over Bob May in 2000, a win that made him the second player in golf’s professional era (beginning with the formation of the Masters in 1934) to win three major championships in the same year, joining Ben Hogan in 1953.
Less than eight months later, Woods won the 2001 Masters to cap the “Tiger Slam,” making history as the first golfer to hold all four professional majors at the same time.
“I just remember the pressure that I felt, the chance, an opportunity to do something that Ben Hogan did in 1953,’’ Woods said. “The summer was a whirlwind. I was playing well, then coming into this event, being able to with Jack [Nicklaus] in his last PGA Championship. Jack played with Gene Sarazen in his last PGA, and I was playing with Jack in his last PGA, so just the connection with all that.
Tiger Woods won the PGA Championship in 2000.
“A lot of great memories from that week. Obviously making a putt on 18 and getting into the playoff and making a nice putt on the 16th hole, running after it. To be able to go head-to-head with Bob May, who was arguably probably one of the best junior golfers that Southern Cal ever produced.
“It was a fun week and an unbelievable moment, really.’’
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