Tiger Woods said on Tuesday before the start of the Farmers Insurance Open that he is rested and ready for the PGA Tour season, and that might not bode well for his fellow professionals. The 43-year-old, who is ranked 13th in the Official World Golf Rankings was a 16/1 pick to win his first tour event of the season, but has moved up to 14/1 at some sportsbooks.
If Woods has an advantage at any golf course, it would be Torrey Pines. He has won here eight times, including when the US Open was held here in 2008. That was his last of his 14 major championship victories.
In 2018 the former No. 1 player in the world won for the first time since 2013 when he captured the Tour Championship in September. After that event, however, he went 0-4 in the Ryder Cup, lost to rival Phil Mickelson in “The Match,†and finished 17 out of 18 players in the Hero World Challenge three weeks before his 43rd birthday.
“Last year toward the end of the season I got really tired, because I didn’t expect to play that much golf at the end and I didn’t train for it,†Woods said. “Last year was very fluid,” Woods said. “It was like trying to hit a moving target last year and it was quite interesting to try to figure it all out as the year progressed and it evolved.”
Woods was in his first full season since recovering from his fourth back surgery. The spinal fusion procedure had left doubts on whether he would even be able to play golf again. There was a lot of uncertainty, but Woods was able to overcome the adversity and not only win a tour event, but finish tied for sixth at the Open Championship, and nearly win the PGA Championship before finishing sixth.
Listening to Body
In his offseason Woods hit the gym and started to train for the rigors of the PGA Tour season, knowing what he needed to do. He also is expected to play less golf this year, thus giving his body time to rest in between events.
“I’ve gotten a lot stronger,†Woods said. “I feel like my legs are where they need to be, which they weren’t at the end of the season.â€
Now Woods believes he has a sense of what he can do, and is excited about what 2019 holds.
“There’s a better understanding of what I can do,” Woods said. “It’s hard to describe. Going into this event last year, I really didn’t know. I hadn’t played out of the rough in years. That’s what’s weird, it’s hard to imagine, but I really hadn’t. That was a big uncertainty.â€
Confidence Returns
While Woods had no idea what he was capable of last year, he still managed to exceed his expectations. Woods had seven top 10 finishes in 18 starts. Now he will play anywhere from 15 to 17 tournaments and is already a co-favorite to win the Masters at 12/1 with Jordan Spieth.
“I know what I can do,†Woods said. “I know what I’m feeling, so now it’s about finishing a little bit better and winning some events this year.â€
