Tiger Woods says he made progress despite results
WINDERMERE, Fla. – Tiger Woods ended a miserable 2014 on Sunday by finishing in last place in the Hero World Challenge.
Yet he left Isleworth Golf and Country Club far from a defeated man.
Despite a short game that is ailing – he chunked nine chips this week and twice hit back-to-back chunks – and finishing with rounds of 77-70-69-72 and 26 shots behind winner Jordan Spieth, Woods can't wait for 2015.
"I made some progress. I hadn't played in four months and I'm in absolutely no pain, which is nice. To be able to go all out on some of these drives like I did this week really enforces that what I'm doing is the right thing for my body," said Woods, who played just nine tournaments and 29 rounds this year.
" … I've got my speed back now. Look how far I'm hitting it again now. That's nice. I just obviously need to clean up my short game. That still needs a lot of work. Again, it's progress."
Woods, who had back surgery March 31, was making his second comeback of the season, having not played since missing the cut in the PGA Championship in August. But after rest and rehabilitation to strengthen his back, Woods started hitting golf balls again and began work on a new swing with a new swing consultant, Chris Como.
Now the former world No. 1 is standing taller at address and swinging with much freer action. His bad back had restricted freedom of movement while causing Woods so much pain. Those days, Woods said, are behind him.
"I'll probably practice maybe for the next week, and then I'll shut it down for the holidays and then get back up and do it," Woods said. "I like what I'm doing right now. I just want to reinforce it before I take my break. Obviously there are some things that I can do with my short game that I definitely can work on. Overall, it's so nice to be able to go out there and hit drives that hard again, take bunkers out of play, cut corners.
"I hadn't felt healthy enough to be able to do that in a very long time."
A healthy Woods has his colleagues excited, as well.
"I think it looks a lot better," Steve Stricker said of Woods' new swing. "He's going through it a little freer. … He looked like he was trying to steer it in play the last 5, 6, 7 years. Today it looked like he really let it go."
In addition to working on his game, Woods will attend a meeting of the U.S. Ryder Cup task force in West Palm Beach this week. The following week he will be in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where his first golf course design opens.
As for 2015, Woods hasn't said where he will begin the year. He will not play in the Middle East. He'll likely start the year in San Diego for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, where he has won eight times, including his last major championship, the 2008 U.S. Open.
"If I stay the course that I'm on right now that I'll be physically able to do what I want to do, and that's the biggest difference," Woods said. "I hadn't been able to practice and dedicate myself as much as I used to just because my body just wasn't there. My practice sessions were so limited. It's hard to make progress that way. … But now I'm healthy. I can play without pain."