It has been six years since Tiger Woods made a major win in a championship, but now he sets the bar high for himself as he says that only first place will be acceptable to him this week at the Open in Hoylake.
"I've proven Io it, it's just a matter of putting my game and giving myself the best chances this week to miss the ball in the correct spots, to be aggressive when I can, and obviously to hole putts. That's a recipe you find for every major championship, but I've just got to do it this week."
"Each and every week I've gotten stronger and faster. I am probably not quite at the level that I think I can be at as far as my explosion through the golf ball, but I'm pretty darn close.
"I have been in circumstances like this before. If you remember 2008, I had knee surgery right after the Masters. I teed it up to the US Open and won. I didn't play more than nine holes and the Sunday before the US Open, I didn't break 50 for those nine holes, and still was able to win it in a playoff, with an ACL [injury] and a broken leg.
"I was going through a pretty tough time in my life at the time, and people were very supportive that week. That was a very emotional week. I pressed pretty hard at Augusta that year, trying to win it, because it was the last time my dad was ever going to see me play a major championship. And then I didn't play well at the US Open, I missed the cut there miserably." His father, Earl Woods died May 2006.
"I came here and just felt at peace. I wouldn't necessarily say it was every day but certainly on Sunday I really felt that my dad was with me on that one round. I said it back then in '06 that it was like having my 15th club. I really, really played well. On Sunday I really felt calm. It was surreal at the time. I've had a few moments like that in majors where I've felt that way on a Sunday. And that was certainly one of them.
"As I person I've gone through a lot, the loss of a parent and having two kids. Life is very different than it was then. I've got a completely different golf swing than I did in '06. A lot of aspects of my game and life have changed since '06."
With reports from theguradian.com
