AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods came frustrated. Still not with his leg.
On Tuesday at Augusta countrywide, where Woods nonetheless remains a “recreation- time choice” for this week’s Masters, he came asked employing a journalist whether he believed he ought to win. He answered in two expressions “ I do.” simply over 13 months agone, the 15- time primary champion suffered further than one injury to his proper leg in an auto crash.
Well, I like contending, and that I feel like if I am suitable to nevertheless contend at the stylish position, I’m going to, and if I witness as I can nevertheless win, I’m going to play,” Woods said. “ But if I feel like I will, also you entered to see me out then. You men understand me more advanced than that.
“I don’t show up to an event until I assume I can win it. In order, that’s the mindset I’ve had. There may be autumn while it won’t show up, and that I’ll know while this is.”
Don’t believe him? We take you to the exercise herbage close to the tenth tee at Augusta, in which Woods come rapping putts roughly 3 hours earlier than his press convention. How differently to explain what about 50 or so guests watched other than, sure, he’s right then for inexperienced jacket. 6.
Woods put from 6 bases down. He missed to the right. He squinched.
Woods hit the putt formerly more. He missed the leftism. He squinched and dropped his head.
On the third pass, he made it and moved on.
Pain on an ignored 6-footer on an exercise green at some stage in an exercise round. What does that tell you?
For one, if he didn’t believe he ought to win, also the forget wouldn’t calculate; he’d simply move on. And for you, no, you shouldn’t inescapably deal with a practice putt love it’s for the Masters. Still, you shouldn’t just smoke the putter with the aid of the ball, both. Woods changed into the setting with a motive. In advance, Rory McIlroy treated his time on the green in a lot the identical way — on a 15-footer, he walked about 8 ft forward, measured the pitch with his ft, and checked out the ruin in the reverse of the ball and also agonized over a pass over.
Woods, too, changed into chastened in an earlier drill. He placed tees simply over the range of a putter beforehand piecemeal, fixed another tee roughly 2 toes behind those tees, and hit — and dropped — 5- bottom putts again and again formerly more. The reflections come incontinently.
So was his wincing.
He’s playing to win.